Silver Dawn
by bob the kraken
Summary: Man and beast. Both have the capacity to become monstrous, but if man could become a beast, does that make him a monster? For even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and Autumn moon is bright. ADOPTED FROM Ultimate Survivor
1. Chapter 1

**FIRST THING'S FIRST I would just like to give a big thank you to Ultimate Survivor for giving me permission to adopt this story!**

**The original idea, the OC James Steele, and many original concepts of this story are his brain children first and foremost so give him the credit he deserves! I just helped co-write it. Me and Ultimate Survivor basically worked out the whole plot of this fic and had everything planned out...except we never could complete it. Ain't that a bitch? **

**Well, it's back!**

**The original story is on his account (although it's unfinished) along with his ARK Survival Evolved/High school Of The Dead Crossover story. Check it out, seriously! It's a great story; wickedly cool and original! He also has a NEW story in the works; a HOTD RWBY Crossover that is frankly ****_awesome _****so follow him if you like ****_awesome_****. I know I do! **

**Now, for those who have read the previous story and are here for it's revival, this is basically the same with for some additions and minor changes; grammar, dialogue, setting, ect. **

**Once more THANK YOU ULTIMATE SURVIVOR! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Until Dawn, nor the OC and concept of this fanfiction. **

**Onto the story!**

**_XXXXX_**

_Chapter 1: Prologue_

The fog was cold and damp and an icy gale blew through the dark forest, but James barely noticed the chill. Bare, autumn trees clawed at him with skeletal branches as he ran through the woods with his heart pounding so loud that he thought it might burst from his chest. Dark brown hair blew wildly in the cool air and his grey-green eyes were wide with panic. A white t-shirt and thin jeans barely provided protection from the temperature and was streaked with red blood that glistening in the moonlight. The red sticky fluid had soaked through the fabric and made it to cling to his skin. James' worn sneakers raced over the carpet of fallen leaves as gut wrenching screams tore through the night air behind him. Jolts of fear and anguish went through the young man's heart at the sound. A small voice in the back of his head urged him to turn back, to go back and help his friends. His instincts, on the other hand, commanded him to flee.

And flee he did; abandoning the few people he truly cared for in life.

Another scream penetrated the darkness. The blood chilling cry made him cringe. He could only fight back the tears and keep running. "_I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" _He whimpered inside. It sounded like Gabe was being ripped to pieces. A choking gasp echoed through the dark, then a loud _squash_, and then silence. And then the sound of rapid footfalls and heavy panting replaced the quiet. Glancing over his shoulder, he glimpsed a vague but large shape moving through the mist behind him.

That _thing_ was chasing him…whatever it was.

The blood on his shirt wasn't his. It belonged to that of his friends when it gushed from their mutilated corpses. Kelsey, Max, Gabe, Brock, Jonathan…they were gone. He'd left the butchered bodies of Kelsey and Max behind back at the campsite as that _thing_ tore through the wall and then into them like wet paper. They didn't even have time to scream. Brock tried to fight back with the revolver his father gave him for their trip to the woods, but he didn't live long enough to fire a single shot. It was Jonathan who pulled James out of the blood-soaked cabin and out of his fear-stricken stupor. He was the one who shoved him out of the path of death's jaws. He also was the one who took his place in those jaws. It was his blood that stained James clothes the most.

James could not get the image of Jonathan's death out of his mind. The look of utter fear and ungodly pain on his face as the monster ripped into his abdomen would haunt him forever. A fountain of blood had sprayed from the wound and onto James while he stood rooted to the spot; paralyzed with fear. "_Run" _Was all Jonathan managed to rasp before the beast's fangs closed around his throat and parted his head from his shoulders.

Gabe had been in his tent when it all happened. He had crawled out just in time to see Jonathan's gruesome demise. James urged him to run by shoving him towards the woods and sprinting into the darkness, only to find out moments later that Gabe hadn't been behind him when he turned around.

Thunder groaned overhead. A jagged bolt of lightning streaked through the dark sky. Rain poured down in sheets, drenching him in seconds. The forest floor soon turned muddy and made it harder to keep his footing on the slippery leaves. Bursting from the tree line, James found himself in the middle of a dirt road. Exhaustion was quickly taking over his body. The adrenaline rush was beginning to fade and his muscles were heavy with fatigue and screamed to rest.

"Damn it! Goddamn it!" James sobbed. He fell to his knees, the panic and the shock having finally gotten to him.

WHY! Why them? What did he and his friends do to deserve this? Being killed by some...some _monster!?_ He watched his friends die right in front of him and he had done _nothing!_ He soon found himself awash in self-loathing. He hated himself! He hated his cowardice! He should have done something! He shouldn't have let them die! A violent sob rocked his body. Tears mixed with the rainfall upon the muddy road.

_He shouldn't have let them die!_

A deafening crash jolted him from his grief. James spun around just as something exploded from the trees and slammed into him like a freight train. His body flew from the force of the collision and he landed hard on his back. A mass of dark fur fell down on top of him, and James didn't have enough time for fear to register before white hot pain in his left shoulder brought him back to reality. James screamed in utter agony as long fangs sank deep into his shoulder with teeth scraping against bone. The creature began to shake its head back and forth, snarling and clawing, tearing his shirt to rags and scratching down his chest to try and get at his stomach. Blood spilled in torrents onto the slick, muddy ground.

Just as James felt his consciousness begin to slip, the roar of a shotgun exploded in his ears followed by a pained yelp. The teeth were removed from his shoulder and the heavy padding of the beast's footfalls faded into the dark until he could hear nothing but the rain falling from the sky and the pounding of his own heart.

James just lay there, staring up at the stormy sky as the edges of his vision were laced in an ever-growing blackness. Then the lights of a vehicle fell upon him, blinding him. "Holy shit!" a voice echoed faintly. He tilted his head towards the lights, watching through the glare as the driver side opened and a figure came running. His vision blurred as the person ran to his side. They were saying something, but he couldn't focus on the words. Letting his gaze trail up to the night sky, James watched as the storm clouds slowly began to disperse and reveal the full, autumn moon shining down upon him.

Then, everything went black as a ghostly howl echoed through the night.

**_XXXXX_**

_The images raced through James's mind again. Each of their barbaric ends flashed before his eyes like a slide-show. Their dying screams echoed in his ears and he still felt their blood clinging to his skin. It was as if he were back at the campsite reliving the horror all over again. He whimpered. The images didn't stop; they just kept coming, each clearer and more powerful than the last. _

_He was back in the center of the road and had just fallen to his knees, the grief and loss of his friends washing over him like a tidal wave. A loud crash made him turn and he screamed as a giant, shadowy thing lunged at him. It's blazing eyes glared into the depths of his soul as it pinned him to the ground, leaving him stunned and breathless. "No!" James shouted, coming out of his daze. He watched horror as the creature slowly opened it's enormous jaws. Fresh blood and saliva dripped from long fangs onto James's petrified face. The maw opened impossibly wide and descended so that the last thing he saw was the back of the creature's throat-_

James gasped awake from the nightmare. He lurched forward, sitting up ramrod straight in. Fear was etched in his tensed muscles as he panted ragged breaths, drenched in cold sweat. Bloodshot eyes darted around the unfamiliar room wildly, _'What...what happened?' _He thought furiously, and winced as a sharp pain coursed through his left shoulder and across his chest.

'_What the hell? Why do I hurt so...?' _

James paused. Looking down, he saw that he was wearing a white hospital gown. Slowly, he peeled the fabric off his shoulder to find a mess of bloody gauze underneath. Biting through the pain he felt as he moved his good arm, he peeled back some of the gauze. From below his collarbone and wrapping around to his shoulder blade were a series of red puncture wounds sealed tight with stitches. More damaged flesh flowed below his collar and across his chest. Understanding crept over him and his eyes widened in sickening realization.

His nightmare-_no, _the _memories of last night…_had actually happened...

His of his friends were **_dead!_**

James fell back into the mattress, numb to the pain of jostling his injury, and stared up at the creamy white tile ceiling blankly. Then, his face contorted in pain, sorrow, and _grief_. Tears gushed from his eyes and onto the pillow beneath his head. Last night's terror and loss welled up fresh within his chest and burst through the seams. Raw emotion filled his voice as a violent sob racked his body.

"Fuck!" He hissed, bringing the heels of his palms to his eyes and tried to rub the memories away. It didn't work.

"God damn it!" He spat, "God fucking **damn it**!"

James didn't stop crying until exhaustion took over and he drifted back into unconsciousness.

**_XXXXX_**

The interior of his uncle's old pick-up was a familiar comfort James desperately welcomed at the moment. The musty smell of old leather and tobacco coupled with the sound of gravel rolling under aged tires brought back fond memories that helped kept more daunting ones at bay.

**_XXXXX_**

_Nurses in blue scrubs mingled around him; checking the IV drip funneling into his arm and fiddled with the dials of his heart monitor while a doctor talked to him from his bedside. _

"_How are you feeling, James?" _

_The question ate at him, fighting through the all-encompassing numbness he felt at the moment. "Where am I?" He asked lowly._

"_You're in the hospital, James." The doctor replied "You were attacked by an animal of some kind. Can you remember what it was?"_

_The heart monitor began to beep loudly as his heartbeat spiked…_

**_XXXXX_**

James had just been released from the hospital with a clean bill of health and an extremely fast recovery after a few weeks of treatment. His uncle Bert picked him up as the sun came up, and now they were headed home.

**_XXXXX_**

"_It's honestly a miracle you survived." One of the nurses said to him later that day, "You lost a lot of blood when you got here. We weren't sure you were gonna make it. You're recovering pretty fast too." The nurse hummed to herself. _

_James didn't say anything except stare at the wall as she checked his stitches. _

_He didn't deserve to be alive right now. _

_He shouldn't have been the one to survive. _

**_XXXXX_**

"James?" James turned to look at his uncle whose weathered face was creased in worry "You alright?" Bert asked him.

Uncle Bert had become James's legal guardian after his parents died in a car crash when he was three. There had been no other family that wanted or were able take him, and between Bert and the state, Bert chose to raise James as his own.

**_XXXXX_**

_The police arrived the next day after James woke up five hours after Uncle Bert was admitted to see him, to be exact. James had counted the time. They asked him a lot of questions about what happened, and James couldn't help but fight tears every time he opened his mouth. _

_Eventually they left, and for a while, James was allowed to be alone with his grief._

_But then his friend's parents came in, and he went right back to crying._

XXX

"I'm fine, Uncle Bert." James responded and internally cringed. The words sounded fake, even to him. He wasn't fine; he was the complete opposite of fine! His friends were dead._ Dead!_ And he didn't try to do a damn thing to stop it! They'd had their whole lives ahead of them! Their future and potential were gone and crushed into the forest floor because of some…some_ monster!_

**_XXXXX_**

_They'd written it off as a bear attack._

_Complete bullshit in James's opinion because bears didn't live in the area in the first place! They told James a hunting party had been sent out to search for the beast, but James had a feeling they wouldn't find it. _

_Whatever attacked them…James had never seen a bear in real life before, but he knew that whatever was out there was no bear._

_Maybe they would find it! They'd shoot it dead, and then maybe James and the families of his friends could find a sense of peace._

…_He just wished he could believe that._

**_XXXXX_**

Bert lived in a small cabin out in the woods of Michigan that was separated from the rest of town and had served as James' home for over fifteen years. The property was all sprawling, thick grass that was encircled by the forest. Small bushes grew under the front porch windows and a gravel road led straight into the garage where Bert parked his pickup.

The sun was halfway across the sky and setting fast. Bert backed the old truck into the garage with practiced ease and turned off the ignition. They sat there in silence before Bert turned and made eye contact with his nephew.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

Bert pursed his lips together into a thin line before saying, "I'm not going to play dumb here and pretend you're okay. You're not. Hell, I sure wouldn't be after something like that. I just want to let you know-" He reached across the seat to lay a weathered hand on James' shoulder "Whatever you need. If you want to talk, if you want to be left alone, even if you want to just get up and go somewhere far away for a while, you let me know, alright? I'll be there for ya. Your parents…" He faltered, eyes crinkling in sadness at the memory of them, "It wasn't easy for me when they died. I'm here to help you, James, in any way you need. Got me?"

James swallowed through the growing lump in his throat and squeezed his uncle's hand, "Yeah." He managed to get out.

Bert nodded. He said, "Good." and searched his nephew's face. "You need a minute?" He asked him. James nodded. Bert nodded right back "Alright. I'll be inside." And he slid out of the truck, closing it softly behind him.

James sat there in the quiet of the empty truck with his mind racing back to the hospital.

**_XXXXX_**

_The stitches came out sooner than James expected._

"_You're recovering very well." The doctor said absently as he removed the threads from his flesh._

"_How much longer am I going to stay here?" James had asked. _

_That brought the doctor up short. He said, "Well, we'd like to keep you ahead of schedule to check for any diseases or viruses that might be in your bloodstream_." _Seeing James's frown, he gave a reassuring smile,_ _"Not that you have anything to worry about so far. All our tests show a clean bill of health. You're healing very fast."_

_James's frown grew more pronounced "Everyone keeps saying that like it isn't normal." He stated, "What does mean? Is that uncommon or something?"_

_The doctor pursed his lips together and his eyes narrowed in thought. After a moment he answered, "When you were first brought in, you were in a very critical state. Your wounds were fatal and we thought you weren't going to survive the night, but your blood began clotting fairly quickly and the bleeding stopped at an extraordinary rate." He paused before looking at James and asking "Are you on any experimental drugs or pills? Any medication of any kind?" James shook his head to every question. The doctor frowned again "Well... there was a lot of blood that wasn't yours...the wounds could have been shallower than we thought..." He shrugged, seemingly at a loss for words, "All in all, you are very lucky to be alive."_

XXX

James opened the door and stepped out into the cool interior of the garage as anger flooding his system at the doctor's words.

Lucky to be alive?

_Lucky to be alive?! _

His friends had been slaughtered, and he was **_lucky? _**

The next thing James knew, he was hunched over his uncle's workbench, gripping the edges with all his might in an effort to try to control his rage and not lash out and break something. James had a temper. He had always been a little quicker to set off, but this was something that went beyond that; something that struck him right in the center of his core.

_People he cared about had died, and he had been powerless to stop it._

**_*CREAK*_**

James lurched away from the workbench at the sudden sound of creaking metal and his eyes widened at what he saw. The corners of the solid metal structure were crumpled. James could see the outlines of his fingers if he looked closely. He looked down at his own hands, which looked completely normal. No bruising or cuts or anything. They looked and felt completely fine.

_What the hell?_

"James?"

James jumped and looked up at his uncle's worried face in the doorway to the house.

"You alright?" Bert asked.

"I-" James looked back and forth from his uncle to the workbench, "I-I'm fine." He stuttered. At his uncle's frown deepening he added, "I am, really."

There was a pause where James and Bert just stared at each other for a moment before Bert just sighed. "C'mon James." He said, motioning for him to come inside. James nodded "Y-yeah." He agreed. Stealing one last look at the dented workbench, James followed his uncle back into the cabin with thoughts awhirl and naïve hopes of things returning to normal drifting through his heart.

**_XXXXX_**

_Journal entry #90_

_It's been 2 days since the attack. Tomorrow I'm going to their funeral. God, I can't believe I'm writing in this thing after who knows how long. I just…I just need an outlet, I guess. Something to get my thoughts out. The phone's been ringing off the hook ever since the attack. Bert even said there was a call from some news station asking to interview me. I told him to tell them never to call here again. Fuck an interview! I don't want to give some news station ratings because of my friend's deaths. No. Just…just no. I feel like I shouldn't be here. I should have done something! I just stood there and watched like an idiot! It's my fault! It should have been me...the worst part is how I feel. Ever since I got out of the hospital I feel great. My chest and shoulder got ripped open; shouldn't I feel at least the slightest bit of discomfort? I mean, the scars are there, but the scar on Uncle Bert's knee still hurts sometimes and that happened years ago! I don't feel a thing! It's like a slap in the face…they got torn to shreds and I'm left feeling great. They still haven't found what attacked us. The hunters covered half of the forest with no sign of anything except from some weird paw prints, but that's about it. _

_XXX_

_Journal entry #91_

_I just got back from the funeral. It was…intense. Sad. I cried a lot. So did everyone else. Thank god it wasn't an open casket. I don't know what I'd do if I could see what that monster did to them. The worst part was the smells. I could smell the embalming fluid they'd used for the bodies. I almost threw up when I got close to the coffins and I could even smell it when I sat in the back of the church. Everyone was so damn loud, too. It's like I could hear all their conversations at once. I could hear everyone talking to each other, to the bodies, to God…I had to leave to go to the bathroom to get away from it all. Some of their parents were glad I'm alive. Others were angry I was. I deserve it. I deserve their anger…now that I think of it, ever since the attack it's like everything is just…louder to me. Smells, sound; I can't explain it. I don't know why, maybe it's just my body still recovering and ramping everything up to max like an adrenaline rush. The doctors said everything on the outside may be healed but there could still be internal damage. I'll call them tomorrow and ask when this will go away._

_XXX_

_Journal entry #92_

_It's been a week since the funeral. I went to their graves today. I didn't break down crying like I thought I would either. I didn't do anything, really. I just…stood there. I was numb. I didn't say anything, either. There really was nothing to say….I wish I said something now, though. I'll ask Uncle Bert if he can take me there tomorrow. I've been having nightmares about them. Kelsey, Max, Gabe, Brock, Jonathan...it's always their faces over and over again before and after they died. The screams, too. And the monster. I'm calling it a monster because that's what it is. It's always the last few seconds before it gets me. I just see fur and teeth and then I wake up screaming…that's why I'm up tonight. I miss them. I'm going to try going back to sleep._

_XXX_

_Journal entry #93_

_The nightmares are getting worse. Now it's the same one over and over again. I'm running through the woods, the moon's out, and they're chasing me. One monster is chasing me and one is running towards me, and when they catch me, something bad is going to happen. It's like every time I go to sleep I have the same exact dream. The doctor wanted to see me again. I finally called and asked them about the whole hearing and smell thing. Apparently, something like that "is not normal under any circumstances" but I don't feel like going. I don't want to be poked and prodded again._

_XXX_

_Journal entry #94_

_I'm getting stronger. __I just realized this yesterday. I was helping Uncle Bert move around some furniture and when we went to move the recliner, it felt like it weighed nothing! I almost dropped it from how surprised I was. Later when we were done I went back to see if it just a weird moment of spontaneous strength, which sounds ridiculous now that I think about it, and I picked the whole thing up and almost lifted it over my head without breaking a sweat! That's not the only thing that's happening to me. The...I don't know; abilities, I guess? The hearing, the sense of smell; that's getting stronger, too! I can hear the cars out on the road passing the house from inside my room! Yesterday, I had to ask Uncle Bert to turn down his radio because it was too loud, and it wasn't even that loud in the first place! I can hear Bert talking from downstairs like they were right next to me! As for the smells, they're hard to describe. Everything is just...more. Food, the way people smell in general, animals...it's like it's all been quadrupled or something! It's starting to become a problem. It gets overwhelming at times and I feel dizzy and sick from all the different scents. I threw up a couple times because of some really nasty smells, too. I must be going crazy or something, but I swear I can see in the dark! Last night I woke up, and I thought it was morning because my room seemed brighter, but the clock said it was midnight! This is freaking me __the hell out __and I haven't told Bert anything about this. The last thing I need is him worrying and scheduling another checkup for me. Fuck those doctors; they've called the house back like eight times now! I can't stand this. I'm going outside for a run. I've wanted to go running for a while now, actually. Maybe super-speed will be my next 'ability'._

_...Just to add something; I'm back from my run and….yeah, I can run pretty fucking fast…I'm going to bed...even though I'm not tired from running what was probably a mile without breaking a sweat…_

_What the fuck is happening to me?_

_XXX_

_Journal entry #95_

_Something happened to me today that scared me more than everything else that's been going on. Me and Bert went into town today to pick up some sleeping pills today. My nightmares are getting worse and I haven't been sleeping at all. My temper isn't improving, either. If anything, it's gotten worse. When we went to the store, there were some people walking their dogs, and the second I get out of the car, the dogs all go crazy barking at me. I don't know why, but I nearly snapped. I nearly attacked the dog closest to me when we walked into the store. Then, when we were at the counter, there was this guy that comes out of nowhere and gets in line behind us. I wasn't even looking at him. I wasn't even look in that round mirror over the counter, but I knew he was looking at me. I felt it. Sure enough, when I turned around he was staring dead at me. Then we made eye contact. What happened next was...the most terrifying thing that's happened to me since the attack._

_This guy...I'd never seen him in my life, but I wanted to kill him. Like, really kill him. I wanted to tackle him into the ground, beat his face in, and tear his throat out with my teeth. I wanted to make this man hurt, make him bleed. The weirdest thing was, I felt like I knew this guy. Neither one of us is breaking eye contact. I was angrier than I've ever felt before in my life and I knew it was playing out on my face, and this guy…I knew he was feeling the same way. He wanted to kill me, too. He also had this look on his face; really shocked and confused like I wasn't supposed to be there, or something. Then I smelled him…_

_I've gotten pretty good at blocking out surrounding smells and scents, but this guy….it's not like he reeked or anything like that, he actually had some cheap cologne on, but I just sniffed the air on instinct for some reason, and underneath the cologne…he smelled like blood. The only reason I know what that smells like, is because I became pretty well-associated with it when I was in the hospital. It's this heavy, coppery tang to it that sticks in the back of your throat. This guy smelled like blood and dirt and this other musty scent that made me want to hurt him even more. This all lasted for about maybe 5 seconds, then the cashier rung up our stuff and Bert snapped me out of it when he asked for a quarter. When we left, I didn't break eye contact for a second, at least until we walked out the door. __I have no idea what happened, and I doubt I'll even see that guy again in my life again, but I got this sinking feeling in my stomach like something bad is going to happen. I don't know. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a good night's sleep tonight. I'll write more in the morning._

**_XXXXX_**

It was the pain that woke him up; a sharp, agonizing pain in his chest that had him gasping awake and thrashing straight out of his bed and onto the floor. James cried out as it intensified, bringing with it a wave of heat that swept through his whole body.

Shaking fingers grabbed at his nightshirt and tore it open to try to relieve the feeling that his insides were cooking. A strangled cry escaped his throat as a different pain hit him, along with a series of popping and cracking sounds that came from his hands. James managed to get them up in front of his face and watched in absolute terror as thick, black hairs sprouted up the length of his fingers, along his palms, and down his arms. Not only that, but his hands were growing! His palm and fingers began to stretch out and lengthen; becoming wider and bigger before his very eyes. Long claws abruptly stabbed through his fingertips. Through all of this, James was whimpering and crying out in agony. He clawed at his body as more pain wracked him. His legs and ankles felt like they'd been broken, his shoulders and chest felt like they were being crushed into powder, and his entire body itched like a million ants were crawling over him. He cried out and lurched forward onto the floor again. It was like a hand had grabbed his insides and twisted a full 90-degrees. His skin writhed as the muscles under his skin began to grow and swell to enormous proportions. He bit the inside of his mouth and yelped out in both surprise and pain, for his teeth had become much, much sharper. The sound of shredding clothing filled the air as James' frame suddenly exploded outward in an orgy of growth. All of a sudden, everything became numb and James saw more than felt the lower half of his face stretch outwards in front of his very eyes, morphing into a snout. All the while he was screaming, grunting, and moaning in agony. His cries of pain soon turned into deep, huffing growls.

Through the blurriness, James saw a bright light glaring in through his bedroom window, blinding in its intensity. It took James to realize that it was actually the full moon. Something inside him, the same _something _that had compelled him to nearly attack a barking dog and made him want to kill the man in the pharmacy, forced him to stare straight into the cratered face of the orb hanging in the night sky. James realized with fresh horror, that the _something _seemed to be drawing strength from the moonlight, like it was being pulled _out of him-!_

Darkness began to encroach on the edges of his vision. There was something in the back of his mind; another presence, another mind, even! Something primal, bestial, and not human that was slowly crushing him and forcing him out of his own psyche. The last thing James felt before his consciousness went under the blanket of the whatever was taking over his body was the beginning of a feral howl ripping from his own throat.

**XXXXX**

Everything ached.

That was the first impression James got when he first came to. His head throbbed something fierce, his ears were ringing, his mouth was dry, and his whole body felt like he'd ran a marathon nonstop. When he opened his eyes, he winced from the brightness of the light and grimaced at a sour taste in his mouth. Then, there was the fact that he was lying face down on a hardwood floor.

_"What the hell?" _James thought to himself as he tried to rise. Keyword tried. Blinking against the harsh glare of the light, James shifted to see what he'd slipped in. All he saw was red; a deep crimson covering half his arm…

Wait…

James yelled as he recoiled away from the red, wet mess that covered the floor and most of his body. The iron tang of it hit his sensitive nostrils and he gagged, reaching to cover the lower half of his face with his shirt. That's when he found out he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing.

_""What the..."_

James looked around and discovered that he was in the living room, except everything had been destroyed. Furniture was smashed to splinters, huge gouges were taken out of the walls, and blood was splattered from floor to ceiling. Turning about in every direction, James saw that the rest of the house didn't look any different; like a bloody tornado had come tearing through his house. Almost all of the furniture was crushed and destroyed, the walls and floor were missing huge chunks with deep slashes across the drywall, and blood, so much blood, painted the entirety of the house in patches, streaks, stains, and puddles. The largest puddle seemed was coming from where the kitchen used to be.

James's eyes followed the river of lifeblood up to where a leg poked out from behind half of what had been the kitchen table…a leg with a prominent scar on the knee…

_No._

James half-crawled half-ran to the overturned table to avoid smashed bits of furniture and slipped in blood.

_No!_

His hand shot out to steady himself on the length of the table and his knees hit the floor as he swung around to see what was on the other side. Uncle Bert was covered in blood. His shirt was torn open from great slashes across his pale skin. Red blood slowly oozed out of his throat which looked to have been torn open by sharp teeth. His neck was twisted at an odd angle with an expression frozen in absolute terror. His blank eyes stared up at the ceiling, unseeing and…and-

_No…no, no, no, no-_

-dead.

"NOOOOO!" The scream ripped itself raw from James's sore throat. A wordless wail of anguish and loss came straight afterwards. After that, he just began screaming; screaming in horror, shock, loss, and grief. His shaking hands hovered above the body of his dead uncle, the only family he knew, the only parent he had, the person he'd loved that had been alive-

"AAUUUGGGHHHH!"

James screamed out and lashed out blindly. His fist caught the remnant of the table and sent it flying across the house where it crashed into the fireplace mantle. He rose to his feet, shaking as a red rage began to take him over. He turned and brought both fists down onto the island counter-top that was covered in blood but miraculously intact. The solid marble split in half under his fists and the pieces hit the floor with a loud thud. He turned again, searching for the next thing to unleash his fury upon. Howling in anguish, he drove his fists into the wall over and over again, punching straight through plaster and hitting the wood underneath until he broke through that, too. The sharp pain of wood slicing into his flesh brought him out of it and he yanked his hand out of the wall to stare at his shredded knuckles and wrist. White plaster powder mixed in with the blood dripping off his shaking hand.

Suddenly, the bleeding stopped, and James stared in shock as fresh skin began to close over the split flesh and the wounds closed, leaving him completely healed in a matter of seconds. James stepped back, cradling his hand.

Slowly, he looked up to survey the damage once more as a horrible thought wriggled into his brain with the memory of falling out of bed as agony had wracked his body, which then began to change before his very eyes. James looked up at four distinct slashes curving down the length of the wall. He reached up and traced them downwards, remembering how his nails sprung into pointed sharp claws.

_I did this._

The thought struck him like a sledgehammer. He took another step back and surveyed the horror around him with new eyes. "I did this." His thoughts spilled free from his lips this time. He looked around at the destruction once more and clutched at his chest as an iron fist of fear gripped his heart and squeezed.

_I'm a monster!_

Panic stabbed him with a wave of horror and he fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself, just staring straight into the closed eyes of the corpse in front of him.

**_This is going to happen again._**

That strange Something deep inside of him confirmed that little thought. The same Something that had healed him, gave him incredible strength and speed, and had possessed him last night as moonlight washed over him, changing his body and turning him into a monster…

And it had killed his uncle.

Rage welled up in his throat. He felt that Something even now. It was there, sitting in the back of his mind. He felt it in the strength in his arms, sharing the breath of his lungs, and heightening his senses. It was inside him; the Something, the Monster…

The Animal…

James's hands curled into fists again and he rose to his feet as a sudden realization hit him harder than what he'd done. He had to run. Had to leave! He just killed someone, and he would kill again if he didn't do something!

A calm sort of panic settled over him and his brain went into survival-mode, mulling over possibilities and scenarios. He couldn't stay, that much he understood. He needed to get far away from the scene of the crime. If he wasn't arrested when people came looking, or brought to a hospital again, or whatever would happen when this bloodbath was discovered, he'd be brought back to civilization, and if he was in a populated area when he turned into that thing again…he didn't want to think about it. So, he needed to run. When people found this mess, and him missing, they'd put the word out. That meant Missing Person's reports and police. He needed to avoid getting caught. He had to go somewhere where authorities wouldn't find him or keep running and hiding until they gave up the search. The light outside told him dawn was approaching. He needed to move; now!

He had to gone by then.

The next thing James knew, he was running upstairs and jumping into the shower to wash off the blood. It took longer than expected, but he eventually managed to scrub the red from his skin and hair. After that, he threw on fresh clothes and emptied his wardrobe; shoving all the clothes he needed into trash bags. Then, he was raiding through the pantry for canned goods and other non-perishables. That went into a trash bag, too. Next was money. He grabbed all the cash and coins he could find and shoved it into a jar. He'd drive to an ATM and empty his bank account in cash. After that, he'd ditch his credit and debit card. No point taking his phone, either. He knew that might be traceable along with the cards. Finally, he went into Uncle Bert's room in search of his truck keys and found them sitting on his nightstand next to his glasses and a picture of him and James. James took both.

Just before he left, James spotted something on the floor next to the nightstand. It was his uncle's necklace. The whole thing was pure silver from the chain to the silver rectangle hanging from the center that had his and his father's names engraved on both sides; 'James' and 'Jones'. James reached down to pick it up, but the second his fingers touched the metal he recoiled in shock and pain as the metal stung him. A feeling of weakness overtook him, and the presence in the back of his mind dimmed. Stunned, James tentatively reached back down and touched the necklace again. Again, it burned like it had been left out in the sun for too long, but James held on because the feeling of the Animal was being pushed back! After a couple of seconds, the metal stopped burning him and he picked it up. He felt like that well of strength had been subdued, but he was still standing. James unclasped the necklace and slipped it around his neck and under his shirt where it rested against his heart, tingling his skin and dulling the Monster inside him.

Then he was running out into the garage with his supplies where the truck sat waiting for him. James threw open the garage door and clambered into the truck with his bags of clothes and food. He stuck the key into the ignition and brought the vehicle to life. He had under half a tank, enough to get him out of town. Then he'd gas up at the first gas station he saw, get his money, and drive somewhere far away, but where would he even go?

The hissing static from the radio sounded through the speakers, and for some reason, James felt compelled to listen.

_"…The search still continues for the two sisters in Alberta, Canada. Hannah and Beth Washington have been missing for nearly three weeks since they disappeared on Blackwood Mountain. We send our thoughts and hopes out to their family and friends along with the search and rescue teams that are combing the mountain in search of the girls…"_

James tuned the rest out, focusing on only two words.

Alberta, Canada…

It was a long shot, but James lived in a few states away from the border. He didn't know if American police jurisdiction would follow him all the way into Alberta, but he was sure he could find a place to hunker down away from people until he got this…whatever it was under control, or got rid of it entirely. Hopefully the latter in that case…

James put the truck in drive and shot out of the driveway, trying to remember the closest route out of town with a destination in mind and fear in his heart.

* * *

**_Next chapter will be out in a few days. REVIEW!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: Butterfly Wings_

"Sam?"

The young woman in question looked up from her phone and over at her grandfather who was standing up in the back of the pickup truck with a stern expression on his aged face as he stared at the phone in her hand then at her. "What did I tell you? No tinkering on that phone on the job." He said sternly. Sam, rolling her eyes, moved to place the phone back in her pocket. However, once she saw her grandfather go back to sorting tools in the bed of his truck, she quickly pulled her phone back out to continue reading.

_**"Horrific animal attack in small town of Michigan!"**_

Sam grimaced as she read about the deaths of the unfortunate people involved. Although she loved animals, she hoped that whatever had killed these people had been put down immediately. She could only imagine what the victim's family and friends were be going through. God knew she could relate. She continued reading and stopped at the chilling sentence that followed after the name of the victims.

_**"Sole survivor of attack missing! Please contact your local police department if you see this person."**_

She then scrolled down and saw a picture of the individual; a happy young man, around her age, maybe. He had dark brown hair, greenish eyes, and a big, goofy grin he was sporting in the picture, surrounded by the victims of the animal attack. Sam sighed, turned her phone off, and shoved it back into her jeans pocket. She didn't even know why she read tragedies like these anymore because they just wound up making her upset, but old habits died hard.

"Alright, Sammy!" Sam perked up as her grandfather jumped down from the truck and beckoned her to get in "Looks like I need to head to town and get some parts for this damn tractor." Glaring at said tractor, Sam's grandfather gave a spiteful kick to its tires, cursing, "Damn piece of shit!"

Sam couldn't help the smile that graced her pretty features. Her grandfather was a grouchy old man who ran their family's farm along with her grandmother. She enjoyed working for him, mainly because he was one of the only person in her family that didn't treat her like a child, unlike her own parents, and swore like a sailor without a care.

Together, they drove into town and got the parts for the tractor. Her grandfather was a frequent customer there and they were in and out quickly. On the way back, they stopped by one of the farmer's market to buy a few feed bags for what few animals they had.

"Damn rusty old piece of mechanical shit! Nothing _breaks down _like a John-Fucking-Deer!" Her grandfather cursed under his breath as they exited the store. Sam laughed nervously at the string of curses flowing from her grandfather's mouth which had just stained the ears of an elderly woman who had just gotten out of her car. The woman gasped as they walked by. "Ma'am!" Sam's grandfather greeted with a tip of his hat, oblivious to the fact he might have offended her with his language. Or, maybe he did. It was always a mixed bag with her grandfather.

"Do you _really _have to curse so much?" Sam asked for the billionth time as she opened the bed of the truck and placed her bag inside.

Her grandfather snorted. "Can't help it! I was a sailor, Sammy! That means I get to curse like one! Speaking of which, did I ever tell you about the time I-"

Sam rolled her eyes. She had heard her grandfather's bombastic and obviously over-dramatized sea tales many a time, but unfortunately, she knew he'd been just a deckhand rather than the 'hero of the high seas' that he made himself out to be, thanks to her grandmother a long time ago. Just before her grandfather began to regale another one of his 'tales at sea', if only to annoy her, a deep voice sounded in her ear.

"You forgot some bags, sir."

Sam turned around and took measure of a young man standing by the truck with two large bags of horse feed were balanced on each shoulder. She'd never seen him around the farmer's market before. Must have been new. She'd been coming here since she was little and knew damn near everyone.

"Oh! Thank you." Her grandfather said with gratitude. The young man nodded once without a word.

He looked to be her age with greyish eyes with hints of green around his pupils. A hoody jacket covering his head but couldn't hide the long, brown bangs hanging just below his eyebrows. A dusting of stubble covered his jaw and chin from lack of shaving. There were bags under his eyes. He looked tired; weary, even, and his face was tucked into a frown. Then his tired gaze traveled onto her and their eyes met. Chills went up Sam's spine at the look in them. Eyes could always tell a story, and Sam always had been good at reading people. She'd seen eyes like his plenty a time, both in the mirror, and in Josh's sunken face. They were sad and lost. He stared at her for another brief second before he blinked and looked away. He grunted to himself and moved to the truck before dumping the bags into the bed.

"Can't say I've seen you before." Sam decided to ask, "You new?"

"Just passing through." He grunted with a shrug.

Sam 'hmphed' "Didn't know Thomas was hiring." She remarked offhandedly.

"Sam, let's go!" Called her grandfather.

Sam gave the stranger another once-over. There was something about him; something almost familiar. For some odd reason, Sam felt like she'd seen him somewhere before. Part of her wanted to ask him for more information, but he had already turned and walked inside the store.

Sam climbed inside the truck and her grandfather put it in drive and drove, leaving the store and the stranger behind. As they drove, Sam took out her phone and paused when she returned to the article she had just been reading. She blinked at the picture of the boy who was reported missing. Sam glanced over her shoulder back towards the store, but they rounded a bend and were obscured by trees. That guy looked like the one in the picture. Sam shook her head away. Calgary was a long ways away from Michigan, especially around these parts.

A message popped up on her screen.

It was from Chris.

_**Still no word from Josh. Any luck on your end?**_

Sam let out a sigh and typed back.

_No. I'll try calling him back today._

_**I'm starting to really worry about him**_

Sam's eyes narrowed as annoyance shot through her. Oh, now you're worrying about him? Have the months of silence not been enough of a warning sign that something was up with Josh? Sam sighed. That wasn't fair. Chris was just as worried as she was about Josh. So, she just typed back a quick response and put her phone down.

_Me too._

"That Josh?" Came the voice of her grandfather.

Sam blinked and focused on him, "No. That was Chris. He was uh...asking if I heard from Josh."

"Have you?"

Sam shook her head sadly and looked out the window at the trees passing them by. She said, "No, grandpa."

"Sammy, it's been almost a year"

Sam grimaced, "Grandpa, please-"

"I know, I know. I'm just saying that boy needs help."

"He has a therapist!" Sam argued.

"And is that therapist's name Samantha Giddings? No. That boy needs professional help, Sammy, not you or Chris. Friendship helps, but I don't think that's what Washington's boy need right now."

Sam let out a breath and leaned back in her seat, "I know." She murmured, "I just wish I knew how to help."

"I know, Sammy." Her grandfather's gnarled hand patted her on the shoulder, "I know."

_**XXXXX**_

_James_

_Dogs were barking, voices were shouting, and lights stabbed through the darkness of the trees in search of him. James crashed through brush and bramble, panting as he pumped his arms and legs to propel himself deeper into the nighttime forest and away from Canadian Border Patrol._

_He'd actually done it! He'd actually hopped the border to Canada! He didn't have any other choice, either; he'd abandoned his uncle's truck the moment he'd heard the first news report describing it. From there, he'd followed the road, hitchhiking whenever he could. He'd been desperate; h__e hadn't eaten in days and drank his last bottle of water, __so the second night fell, James had made a run for it. The next thing he knew, there were dogs barking and people running after him. He even thought he'd heard the sound of an ATV or two. So, James had pocketed his necklace and poured on the speed._

_He didn't know how long he'd been running from them now. All he did know is that he'd just run off the lip of an incline and was tumbling down to the rocky bottom. "Fuck!" He spat when he landed with a bone rattling thud. He slowly got to his feet, shaking and hurting from the fall. However, the would-be-bruises and scratches began to fade within seconds. He shook his head and glanced up behind him as the roar of an ATV engine echoed through the night air. He could hear the dogs in the distance as well, and they were closing in. He scanned the incline in front of him, his eyes cutting through the dark with ease as he mapped out the quickest way to scale the steep hill. James ran forward and dug his hands into hard dirt to haul himself upwards, scrabbling and grabbing at roots and divots in the earth. As he was climbing, a flashlight illuminated his back and someone cried out "Stop!" but James ignored it and went faster. When he pulled himself over the top onto solid ground, he got up and took off running without looking back._

"_Keep going." His mind screamed at him "Keep going!" _

_A loud, echoing CRACK filled the air and James jerked and fell as his right leg went numb and gave out on him. Bewildered, he touched shaking fingers to his thigh that came back with a wet warmth coating his fingertips. That's when his pain receptors decided to flare to life and he bit back a cry as fiery cold pain stabbed through his leg._

_He'd been shot! _

_Through the pain addled haze, James registered the sounds of his pursuers getting closer. Any second, they'd scale the hill and be upon him. After that…he didn't want to know. What he did know, was that if they caught him, there'd be questions he couldn't answer and he'd eventually be locked away somewhere. And when the moon came for him…_

_No._

_James grabbed handfuls of the forest floor and began to drag himself forward despite the blistering agony in his limb. _

_Keep going._

_The fire in his leg became dull and numb._

_Keep __**going!**_

_James punched a fist into the earth and fought to rise to his feet. Idly, he felt something small pop out of his leg. Warmth replaced the numbness and pain, damaged muscle and tissue knitted back together, his vision sharpened, strength returned, and James ran off into the night with a single, primal command flooding his body._

_**Survive!**_

_He tore through the woods even faster than before; dodging trees, logs, and bramble. They were behind him now, but from judging from the sounds of it, only the ATVs were on his tail. James risked a glance over his shoulder and winced as his hypersensitive eyes met with two pairs of glaring headlights. He snarled and made a sudden right, leaping over a log and zigzagging in random directions. Eventually, he zigged when he should have zagged and sped straight through an overhanging branch. Momentarily blinded by the foliage, James lost his footing and stumbled into a small clearing in the trees. _

_Panting heavily, he scrambled to his feet, and was just about to take off again when movement in the brush drew his attention to the large, lumbering shape that had just crashed through the sticks and was coming towards him from the left. It took him a second to realize what it was, but when he did, his breath caught in his throat and icy fear slid down his spine._

_It was a bear…_

_A fucking __**bear! **_

_It was a grizzly by the looks of it, and quite the imposing specimen. It halted its loping gait upon noticing him and skidded to a stop a few yards away. For a second, they just stared at each other; James frozen to the spot, the bear tilting its head to regard him with a startled gaze. Then the scent of the animal hit James's nose; a musty, sour odor that made the Animal that was locked inside his skin rise up and roar in response. Raw, primal strength flooded his body, and he pulled on it. A second later, his eyes tingled and he blinked rapidly, knowing that when he'd open them they'd be orange. A bestial snarl bubbled up out of his throat and he bared his teeth at the bear in front of him. The bear tensed and gave a single sniff before it turned tail and tore past him into the woods…and straight into the path of the incoming ATVs. James booked it forwards straight ahead at full speed. Behind him, his sensitive ears picked up the screams of the ATV's breaks grinding on the forest floor along dogs baying and the cry of "Bear!" _

_Saved by a damn bear. What were the odds?_

_James continued to run. He ran and ran until he was sure he'd placed great distance between him and the border patrol. After stopping besides a tree to catch his breath, James couldn't help but marvel at the fact that he wasn't exhausted. No aching lungs desperate for breath, no lightheadedness or nausea, no feeling like his legs would give out under him. All he felt was a slight burn in his limbs and the strong beat of his heart. He must have sprinted over a mile through thick woods, and all he felt were the effects of a morning jog._

_James's ears pricked up at a sound off in the distance; the faint roar of many vehicles on blacktop. He must be close to a road. Cautiously, he crept through the forest, following the sounds. Sure enough, when he parted a curtain of bushes he was greeted to the sight of headlights on an open strip of highway-_

-"James, gimme a hand, will you?"

The raspy voice of his boss snapped James out of the trenches of his mind and back to the present. Making his way past the tall shelves lining the farmer's market, James slipped into the back and made his way over to the wiry, old man struggling with a heavy cardboard package sitting on a pallet. Without further instruction, James bent down and wrapped his fingers around base before hoisting it up with a grunt.

"That's it, James." The old man, his boss, puffed out as he directed the younger man, "Just…just set it down over there. I'll get to it later. Phew!" He huffed, wiping the sweat from his brow and leaned up against a metal beam "You know, James, I wish I was your age again." James grunted in response as he set the package down. There was a sigh followed by "Look, James, I got to level with you on something." James tried to hide the stiffening of his spine and the straightening of his shoulders as he turned to look at the older man behind him.

Thomas Warde was his boss and the one who got him employed here in the first place. The first time they met was at a gas station a few miles from where James found the highway. At first, he'd done nothing but walk and attempted to hitchhike with no success. He'd been pretty surprised that he hadn't been picked up by any authorities yet and counted the fact that he had to walk rather than run a blessing. Eventually he found the gas station and managed to hitch a ride all the way into Alberta, and eventually, to Calgary thanks to the kindness of Thomas, who was coming back after a visit with some relatives in the states. At first, he'd just asked for directions to the closest town so he could find some work, but after getting some information fished out of him, he wound up admitting he was practically homeless to his soon-to-be boss. Either out pity or the kindness of his heart, Thomas offered him a job in his store right there on the spot. James would have been a fool to turn it down.

Now, he worked from sun up to sundown, every day all week. James was just glad to have money he could spend on food that wasn't non-perishable, clean water, and more silver to keep the monster at bay during the full moon. He'd bought a backpack with him on his little 'trip' and had filled it with anything made of pure silver that he managed to pick up along the way. It was mostly jewelry; necklaces, earrings, and rings. James wound up stringing or gluing them all together along with some high-quality chains he'd found and wrapped himself up on the full moon.

The second time James changed, it had been in the outskirts of Minneapolis. He had ran into the woods when the moonlight began pulling at him and woke up naked in the middle of a pasture the next morning covered in blood next to the carcass of a half-eaten cow. The third time he changed was in South Dakota. He had been stranded there for a few weeks due to the fact he'd ditched Uncle Bert's truck somewhere in the woods. It was during that time he managed to buy most of his silver trinkets and chains and locked himself in the storm shelter of an abandoned house in the woods and stayed there until he managed to catch a bus out of state. The fourth and most recent change had been in a small rural town in Montana. He'd found an abandoned house out in the woods, tied himself up in chains and silver, and waited it out until morning.

A total of three months since he'd left home combined with weeks of walking, hitchhiking and buses…here he was.

Thomas let him stay in one of the spare rooms above the shop until he could get back on his feet, but unlike settling into a nice hotel like Thomas suggested, James bought more silver and searched for a place to make a temporary cage until he found something more permanent. However, from the way Thomas sounded, James was sure he was about to suffer a setback.

Seeing that James was paying attention, Thomas began, "Listen, James, have I been fair to you?" Fear and anxiety roiling in his gut, James nodded. Thomas sighed and continued, "When I first saw you, I wanted to help you out as best I can. I actually have a cousin who was homeless for a while. Look, what I'm getting at is that I don't know if I can keep you on like this." He shrugged, "You've got no papers, no ID, no proof that you're a working citizen. Everything's been under the table. Some of the other workers have been asking questions." He chuckled at James's scowl, "My thoughts exactly. Don't take this the wrong way, James, but the last thing I want is for someone to find out about this little thing we've got going on here. I don't know what you've got behind you, and I'm not dumb enough to think that your situation was always like this."

"You want me to leave?" James asked simply.

Thomas shook his head, "I'm not just going to kick you out. You can stay in that spare room for now, but you can't keep working here if you don't have the papers."

James frowned and stared at the ground with his mind racing.

"That being said," Thomas added on "I'm not about to throw you out in deep water completely. I know a place that's always hiring and pays all under the table, no proof of identification. It's hard work, but I don't think you'll have a problem with that."

The older man smiled sadly when James looked up at him, a desperate gleam in his eyes. _"God, I hope you turn out alright, kid." _Thomas thought, _"I don't know what you're running from, but I hope you wind up okay."_

"Where?" James asked.

"The local farm not too far from here. They're hiring some new stablehands. Old man Giddings and his granddaughter run it. You met them, actually; they stopped by today to pick up some parts."

James thought back to the older man who'd forgotten his feed and the pretty blonde beside him. They seemed decent people, even though he'd barely interacted with them. If there was work, what was the harm? It wasn't like he planned on staying here for long.

_**XXXXX**_

_Sam_

The next morning, Sam headed back up to the feed store. Her grandfather asked her to grab a couple sacks of food for the dogs. Upon entering the store, she was greeted by the musty smell of animal feed and a hearty hello from the man behind the counter.

"Hey there, Sam! Back again?"

"Hi, Thomas." Sam greeted, waving at the elderly man "Need more dog food. Give me, like, three bags?"

"Alrighty, then." Thomas turned and called over his shoulder to someone in the back, "James! Three bags of dog food for the lady!" Then, he turned back to her and asked her, "Say, Sam, you're still hiring, right?"

"Yeah. Why? Looking to come on as a stablehand?"

Thomas chuckled, "I'm too old to be hauling hay around, but my worker back there needs a job. He's a good kid but I got too many guys as is. He works hard and doesn't stop until a job's done. I'd hate to just throw him out without him having something in the meantime."

"Well, we're always looking for strong hands. I'll talk to him." Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the money and handed it to him while taking a pink receipt as proof of her purchase, "Keep the change." She said and walked past him with a smile.

"Thanks!" she heard him call after her.

Opening the back door, she marched into the feed lot.

The clacking of her boots against the concrete floor echoed as she looked around in search of her target. Upon spotting her mark, who was hauling sacks of feed from a wheelbarrow onto a shelf, she made a beeline for him without breaking her stride.

She strode right on up to him, and offering him the slip.

"Hi!" She greeted.

The young man looked down at her through his bangs. Unlike yesterday, he wasn't wearing a hoodie and more of his face was revealed. His hair was long and messy and came down to the nape of his neck. He could have stood for a shave and a haircut. He was also tall, maybe around six feet, and his grey, long-sleeve shirt seemed hardly adequate for the cold autumn weather. Sam wouldn't lie, he would have been decent looking if not for the haggard look about his face and the dark circles under his eyes, not to mention the stoic frown he wore in what Sam came to realize was his default expression. He looked down at the slip in her hand, took it from her, read it, and without a word he walked past her towards a large stack of dog food. Sam followed close behind him and watched him grab three whole sacks and haul them onto his shoulder. She was a little taken aback at the sight; those bags were heavy. He must have been pretty strong to balance them on one shoulder like that.

"So, we meet again." Sam engaged conversation.

He grunted in what Sam guessed was agreement and walked headed over towards the bay entrance and hoped over the ledge, walking out towards her parked truck.

Sam followed closely behind "Where you from?" She questioned, jumping down after him.

"Out of town."

"A drifter, eh? What's your name, stranger?"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "James." he grunted as he dropped a bag of dog food into the bed of the truck.

"Well, James," She introduced herself "I'm Samantha Giddings. _Please _call me Sam. Thomas said you're looking for work."

James looked at her as he dropped in the second bag, "You hiring?"

"That depends. You ever work on a farm before?" She asked.

"No." James stated and dropped the last bag of feed in. He looked back up at her with an intense gaze, "But I'll do whatever you ask if you pay me."

Sam fought down a smile. There was a joke in there. There was _definitely _a joke in there and she _must _resist making it.

"Well, it's hard work." She said instead.

"I work hard." James said with a shrug.

"When'd you start working here?" She asked.

"Bout a month ago." James grunted.

"So, you're from out of town, huh? Can't say we get a lot of visitors around here. Where'd you come from?"

"I'm just passing through." James said simply, not entirely answering the question. Sam noticed it but ignored the evasiveness for now, and asked, "How long are you planning on staying here?"

"Maybe a month or two?"

"Got any hobbies?" she asked.

"No." Came the immediate response.

"Hm, sounds boring."

James snorted, "It is." He laughed to himself like what he said was some private joke. His eyes told a different story, though. They weren't laughing along with the rest of him. Sam was struck by a sudden impulse to ask him more. She wanted to know why this stranger was here, where he came from, who he was...

She blinked away the reaction and looked into his gray-green eyes, saying, "Well, come by the Giddings farm when you get the chance. Talk to George, he's my grandfather. I'm sure he'll hire you."

A sigh of relief exited James at that moment and he gave her a small smile that seemed transformed his whole face, and thanked her.

Sam smiled back, "You're welcome." She said

James' smile widened, and Sam noticed it looked much better on his face than a frown. "Is that all you need?" He asked, gesturing at the bags of feed in the back of her truck.

Sam shook her head. "Nope, that's it. Thanks, James. Hope to see you soon!"

James gave her another one of those smiles that had her smiling back, then he nodded and walked past her without another word. She watched him return to the inside of Thomas' store and disappear behind one of the mounds of feed before she got back into her truck.

Just before she started it, she froze.

"...No way." She muttered to herself. Sam pulled her phone out and pulled up the article from yesterday, scanning it until her eyes stopped on what she'd been looking for. It was the picture of the missing person in question, and underneath, in bold print, were the words: **Missing; James Steele.**

She looked back up at the entrance, picturing his face in her mind. Take away the haggardness, fill out his features a bit, give him a haircut, and that smile…

Sam blinked. "No way." She repeated.

_**XXXXX**_

Once she got back home, Sam unloaded the feed from the truck and was starting to resent how easy James made it look to carry three bags on just one shoulder. She could hardly carry one, let alone all at once! When everything had been unloaded and she had said goodnight to her grandfather, Sam trudged back into the house and gave each of her three ranch dogs, Bud, Lou, and Glue plenty of pets on the way inside. She headed upstairs, only stopping after hearing her grandmother call that dinner was ready.

"Okay, gran! I just gotta make a phone call" Sam called, resuming walking up the stairs.

"Ok, just don't take too long, it'll get cold!" She her grandmother called back as she entered her room.

She closed the door, sighing as she walked over to her bed and flopped down onto the sheets. Now, she didn't consider herself girly by any means. She wasn't a pink freak at the very least. Hannah certainly had been one. The walls of Sam's room were a deep, forest green that matched her bed sheets. The rest of her room consisted of fine hardwood furniture and a wooden bedframe.

Pulling out her cell phone, she went down her list of contacts. She thought about calling Josh first, but, she didn't want to bring up the fact of coming face to face with a potential missing person. That was asking for trouble. She also knew the call would go straight to voicemail. Another moment passed and she debated calling her, well, not friends. They all weren't exactly 'friends' anymore. Since the prank, no one had been the same. Even if she did call someone, she doubted they'd answer. Mike would be too busy looking at himself in the mirror to care, Matt wouldn't know what to do, Jessica was probably shopping, Emily would just ignore her call, and Ashley was...Ashley. Her relationship with the group was strained at best and nonexistent at worst. Since the night of the party, Sam had distanced herself from the group and rarely contacted any of them. She still harbored resentment towards the ones who were involved in the prank. Chris had been passed out along with Josh and hadn't been involved with the events of that night. He was the only one she still talked to, and that was because out of the seven of them, the two of them seemed to be the only ones who gave a damn about Josh's well-being. Sam knew that Chris was off work right now and he wasn't too self-absorbed to not listen, unlike _some _people. Plus, he, unlike her, was tech savvy. She needed him to do a little research. Clicking on his name, Sam brought her phone up to her ear and listened to it ring a few seconds before the line picked up.

"_Sam?"_

"Hey, Chris." Sam greeted.

"_What's up? You hear from Josh?"_

"Nope. Still in the dark." Sam said, popping the 'p' in nope. She heard Chris let out a disappointed sigh.

_"Me neither. Anyway, what's up?"_

Sam licked her suddenly dry lips, "Well, Chris, I need a favor." She said.

_"A favor, she says! Look, if this is about that bank job, I already told you; I ain't about that life no more!"_

Sam rolled her eyes and said, "Don't worry, this has nothing to do with your history of robbing banks, and even if I was going to rob one, I wouldn't invite you, Chris."

_"...Rude." _

"Seriously, though. I need you to look up someone."

_"Look up? Like, Facebook stalk?"_

"No, more like I think I just met a guy whose face belongs on the back of a milk carton and I want to be sure I'm not crazy."

Sam gave a brief explanation of what had transpired with her meeting of James with pauses to answer Chris' questions.

_"Whoa...this is some serious stuff."_

"That's why I'm calling you in the first place! I can't surf the web like you can."

_"Well, you're not wrong." _Sam heard him say along with the clacking of a keyboard, _"But I just pulled your boy's info and it is not a happy story. There's a couple different posts about it...jeez, they got pictures. It's not pretty. Says here that it's was a bear attack. They're still looking for whatever killed his friends. It's pretty gruesome; they were slaughtered." _

Sam grimaced at the description, "Yeah, I know. I read it, Chris."

_"Did you read the part where it says that his uncle was found dead, too?"_

Sam blinked, "Um, no?" No, she had not.

_"Always have more than one source of info, Sammy. Bert Steele, age fifty-two was found torn apart in his home a month after the first attack. They say that whatever got him was the same thing that killed those other kids. His nephew, James Steele, age eighteen, has been missing for the last three months. Some says it's starting to look like a kidnapping. This was posted almost four months ago. Have you called the police?"_

"I don't know. I met him again today and I offered him a job on the farm."

_"...Are you going to call the police?"_

Sam sighed "I don't know, Chris, I want to see if he matches the guy in the pictures."

There was a pause, and then Chris said, _"Sam...why were you looking up this stuff in the first place? I mean, this isn't exactly national news?"_

"Don't worry about it." Sam tried to wave him off, "I was just...browsing."

_"You browse news articles about people getting eaten by animals? Wait...are you still looking for updates on their investigation?" _He questioned. 'Their' investigation being the still open-case of the Washington twins.

"And you don't?" Sam said back, a fission of annoyance bubbling to the surface.

_"Well, yeah, but not regularly, you know? I mean...they've been missing a long time-"_

"Chris, please just drop it, okay?"

_"Alright! I'm sorry...hey, look, do you want me to tell anybody about this? I mean, Ashley's uncle is a cop, and-" _

"No."

_"Don't worry, he's cool. I could call her right now and-"_

"Chris, I don't want to talk to the others, okay? You know how I feel about them. In fact, just forget about it. This is all probably nothing and I'm just wasting your time." Sam proclaimed.

_"Sam, you're not wasting my time. I...I miss them, too."_

Sam sighed and began to pace around her room, coming to a stop in front of a picture on her bureau. It was a picture of herself and Hannah the day she got her tattoo. They were standing side by side outside the tattoo parlor, Beth had taken the picture and they were making overly-shocked faces while pointing to the black ink proudly displayed on Hannah's arm. God, she missed them; she missed them so much! Hannah had been the sister she'd never had and Beth had been one of her closest friends. Every day that they weren't found had chipped away at her little by little until the hope the twins would be found alive faded and left a hole inside of her soul. The sister's disappearance had hurt Sam as bad as it hurt Josh. She blamed herself just as much as Josh blamed himself for what happened, sometimes. It had taken months before she let herself be back on regular speaking terms with the others, and that was only in passing.

Sam sighed, suddenly feeling weary, "Look, Chris, I'm sorry I bothered you."

_"Don't be."_

She forced the smile into her voice, "It was nice talking to you, Chris, but I gotta go. You know how my schedule is."

_"Waking up at the asscrack of dawn on a daily basis?"_

"Uh-huh!"

_"And you wonder why I never did volunteer work."_

Sam smiled for real this time, "Thanks, Chris. I'll talk to you later. By the way, don't mention this to anybody, especially Ashley; you know how she blows things out of proportion."

_"Yeah." _Chris laughed.

"I mean it, Chris."

_"My lips are sealed!"_

They bid one another goodnight and Sam hung up the phone. She sat it down on her bed and mulled over the conversation she'd just had. Was she so desperate to help somebody that she'd actively go looking for trouble? Sam sighed wearily and trudged towards the door to go eat dinner, which was probably cold like her grandmother had warned.

* * *

_** not too much changed in this chapter except that Chris was the first one she called instead of Ashley, and James and Sam got along fairly well. Review!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: Scars_

_Sam_

"Sammy, come out here, please?"

Sam looked up from the kitchen sink and headed towards the front door where her grandfather called her. Lined up in front of the house were close to a dozen me; the new batch of stablehands. The farm was a decent piece of land and required plenty of hands to help keep it running smoothly. Every season, her grandfather hired a bunch of new helpers to do just that. Some were familiar faces while others were brand new, and speaking of familiar faces…

_"Well, well, well…" _She thought to herself. James stood just off to the side of the other men paying attention to her grandfather. "This is Samantha, my granddaughter." The retired sailor began, "She'll be showing you around today and she's just as much your boss as I am. Any questions, ask her, and remember that you're here to work. No goofin' off or slacking around else you're as good as fired. Understand?" A series of nods answered him and he nodded back, "Good. Sammy?"

Sam nodded and turned to the group of men, though her eyes lingered on James, as she recalled her conversation with Chris about the young man in question. "Alright!" She began with a chipper smile "Follow me, guys, we got a lot of ground to cover." She walked off the porch and led them down into the farmyard.

_**XXXX**_

_James_

James trailed after the line of men following Sam, although he guessed he should be calling her boss, now. The tour continued with a run-down of everyone's responsibilities and ended at the bunks where'd they be during the work-week. What was odd was that James could feel Sam's eyes on him the entire time. Once she had finished their tour, she divided them into three teams and assigned them their job schedules for the week. The group he was in was tasked to help George, Sam's grandfather, with any repair and miscellaneous work around the farm. Once everything was said and done, they all went straight to work.

_**XXXX**_

Sam's eyes remained fixated on James' retreating figure as he followed her grandfather who was pointing a gnarly finger to what needed to get done and ushered them to get started. After she had divided everyone into teams and given their designated responsibilities, she headed up back to the house and took a seat on the porch. As overseer of the ranch, her job was to watch _all_ the workers to make sure everyone was doing their job, but she just couldn't take her eyes off James, and not in the way that Beth would have teased her about. Against her better judgment, she'd done more research last night and came across a month-old article about someone who tried to hop the border. They had succeeded, too. Most of it was about how one of the rangers apparently shot the person and not much more, but Sam remembered that James said he'd started working for Thomas close to a month ago as well. Was it a coincidence? Probably.

When she moved her gaze over the next team of workers, she spotted her grandfather struggling to move a pile of two-by-sixes from the bed of his pickup by himself. Sam chided her grandfather's stubbornness to ask the other workers for help. George Giddings was a proud man and it ground his gears to be unable to move something because of his age. Then, James came up to the side of the pickup. At first her grandpa snapped at him, but after watching James hook his fingers through the plastic straps of the lumber and heaving it onto his shoulders, he changed his tone to one of surprise. James carted over two hundred pounds onto his shoulder all the way from the truck to the barn. All the other workers briefly paused to regard him passing by with impressed gazes. "Wow." Sam mumbled as James hoisted the load over his head and set it on the ground. Recovering from her astonishment, she watched him walk back to her grandfather who was still gaping at him from the back of his pickup and said something to George that made him chuckle. Sam raised an eyebrow at the small, almost indecipherable pull around the corners of James' mouth at whatever George said in response.

_"Aw, look at that little smile…uh-oh." _She thought as her grandfather began to lead James, a potential border-hopping runaway, towards her.

_**XXXX**_

"I'm glad Thomas sent you my way! Can always use a pair of strong arms around here. You'll earn your keep for sure." George said to him

James forced a chuckle, "Yes, sir." He said and looked up at Sam as George motioned to her, "I already introduced you to my granddaughter." The older man said.

James stared into Sam's bright green eyes. She smiled wryly, "We've met before, actually. Hi, James." She said.

"Sam." James greeted with a dip of his head

"Thomas spoke highly of you. Never known him to be too proud of one of his workers. Said you're a good kid and that you work hard. Hopefully, you can keep that attitude around here!" George said with a small laugh. He looked over at Sam and said, "I'm gonna have this one help you in the hay loft. Alright? Good. Now, off you two go!" George said and walked away.

James turned and looked at Sam who was looking him up and down with a gimlet eye and her arms crossed over her flannel.

"Lead the way, boss." James said after a moment.

"Follow me, big guy." She said and walked past him.

James followed.

_**XXXX**_

"Holy crap!"

James looked up at Sam's surprised exclamation "What?" He asked, perplexed at her open-mouthed expression.

"I'm gone five minutes and you're almost _done?_" She explained while gesturing between the hayloft and the freshly stacked bales down below.

"You were gone for twenty minutes, actually." He said dryly. She'd driven back to the field to pick up more bales, and during that time James had kept tossing them up and stacking them without pause.

Sam waved off his correction and walked inside, "Jeez, are you even tired?" She asked as he threw one of the new bales up onto the loft.

"No." James grunted.

Sam squinted at him and asked, "Are you on steroids or something?"

"_Oh, definitely Something, alright!" _He thought bitterly. Instead, he shrugged and answered with a simple, "No."

Sam shook her head in disbelief, "You'll forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

James stayed silent and went back to work, unaware of Sam's expression morphing into one of consternation and the way she bit her lip in indecision. _"Now's a time as good as any to bring it up." _She thought anxiously. She grabbed a fresh bale and brought it over to him, trying to sound nonchalant when she asked, "Hey, did you hear about that thing that happened a while ago? Some guy got shot trying to cross over from the states." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye to watch his reaction as he took the hay, "Crazy, right?"

"...I don't read the news." James grunted after a moment. He turned his body away from her to grab another bale and disguise the panic taking over his face. "Why you so interested in that?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound as suspicious as he sounded to his own ears.

Sam fixed him with a look he couldn't place and she said, "I like keep up on recent events. Keeps me in the loop of things, you know?" Which wasn't untrue; it had become a habit to check the news every so often _just in case _Hannah and Beth were found and she hadn't been contacted yet for some reason. But this time, an actual news story might be standing right in front of her, and she wanted to see if she if she was right on her

The two of them lapsed into a tense silence as they worked until they were done.

_**XXXX**_

"Not bad for a first day's work, big guy." Sam commented as they walked out of the tin shack, their hay-stacking complete. James just grunted in response and kept his gaze straight ahead. Sam couldn't help but frown slightly as they walked to the old pickup awaiting them.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

James shrugged his broad shoulders, "Don't have a lot to talk about." Was all he said.

James had lapsed into a quiet and aloof demeanor, something that both irritated and worried Sam. Irritated because she felt like she was back to square one with this guy and worried because she had a feeling what she said had set him off. James had clammed up after she'd mentioned the news. She wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but given the context of the conversation, she was beginning to think this was the same guy she had read about. All it would take was one simple question.

"Say, what's your last name?" Sam asked. That certainly brought James up short.

"What?" He blurted out.

"Your last name. I handle the books and I at least need your full name to keep track of who we pay."

James stopped walking and stared at her with eyes that were suddenly full of tension. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, the barking of dogs pulled Sam from her thoughts as she looked up to see three dogs loping across the field.

James suddenly tensed up beside her.

Her three ranch dogs came bounding towards her with gold and brown coats winking in the sun. Sam immediately dropped to a knee with a smile and cooed out greetings. They were golden retriever mixes and were the most beautiful balls of fur ever! They had been from the same litter and Sam raised them from when they had been puppies. Bud, Lou, and Glue were sweethearts who wouldn't hurt a fly, _'Something they got from their mamma'_ she would always say. So, she was taken completely by surprise when they suddenly skidded to a stop with ears pricked and heads held high in alert. Sam frowned in confusion and called out to them once more. They were staring at something behind her.

Sam glanced over her shoulder to see James standing stock still, rigid as a board and his wide eyes fixed on the dogs. Her frown deepened when she saw a bead of sweat drip down his temple and he swallowed a lump in his throat. He wasn't afraid of dogs, was he? A snarling bark startled her into turning back to her dogs and her jaw dropped at what she saw. Their ears were flat against their skulls, lips peeled back to reveal foam-soaked teeth, and their eyes were wide and wild. Hackles raised, they all began to let out of angry barks and growls. Sam glanced over her shoulder at James as he took a half-step back with his expression just as wild. His eyes flashed dangerously and his teeth ground together, grey-green eyes darting back and forth from her to the dogs and glittering with something that set her own teeth on edge.

The second James moved, her dogs surged forwards in a chorus of howls and snarls and James turned on his heel and _ran. _Sam made to stand up but one of the dogs barreled into her and knocked her over. She called for them to stop and got up to run after them, but the dogs were streaks of gold and brown lightning across the field as they pursued James, who was practically a blur himself as he dashed back to the shed. He disappeared inside with the trio of dogs hot on his heels, and then there came a distinctly human yelp of pain followed by angry snarls. Sam picked up the pace, shouting for her dogs. When she finally made it inside, she skidded to a stop and stared in open mouthed shock at her three dogs barking and jumping to get at James who was perched up in the hayloft, eyes wide and teeth bared. Parts of his shirt and pants were shredded and she thought she saw flecks of blood staining the fabric. The sight scent ice down her spine. "_Oh god!" _She thought and surged forward, yelling out her dog's names at the top of her lungs to get their attention. Fortunately, it did, and Sam stood in front of them, sparing a glance up at James who was curled against a bale of hay like a cornered animal. She turned back to her dogs, "Out!" she yelled, pointing a finger at the door, _"Out!"_

They barked in protest, but Sam didn't care. She moved forward and seized them all by their collars and _dragged _them outside with the final command of _"Git!" _and pulled the tin door shut. They barked and scratched at the door but she ignored them and turned back to James who was still up in the hayloft, half-hidden by shadows.

"James?" She called softly. She saw his head turn, and for a second she thought she saw flash of orange in the darkness. "Are you alright?" She asked after a moment. He shifted to look at her.

"...I'm okay." Came his low voice.

Sam floundered for words "I-I am so sorry!" She blurted out, "They're…they're _never_ like that! I don't know why-"

He cut her off, "It's okay." Another sigh, "Dogs don't like me." He said with a grimace. Sam hesitated before walking towards the loft ladder as he kept talking, "Funny thing is I love dogs." James continued, his voice and expression far-off and melancholy that abruptly twisted into something bitter and sad when he said, "Too bad they don't feel the same anymore."

Sam climbed into the loft and looked at him half-curled into a ball, fists clenched and shaking, his expression a rictus of bitterness.

It was scene she knew very well.

_**Josh…**_

"_It's my fault, Sam." He'd say sometimes when she'd find him holed up and hiding in a dark corner his room. "It's all my fault." He'd repeat as tears ran down his cheeks, vacant eyes staring off into space…_

The next thing she knew, Sam was crawling up next to James and placing her hand on his shoulder. His body flinched and his eyes darted to hers, sharp and wary.

"You okay?" She asked. She felt his walls go up the second she asked and he looked away.

"I'm alright." He sighed softly and looked away.

She could not believe that her sweet dogs had done this. "Did-" She afraid to even ask "Did they bite you?"

"I'm fine." James said, a strange look that almost resembled bemusement passing over his face, but Sam noticed how he didn't answer her question and her eyes narrowed.

"Let me see." She stated bluntly.

James's eyes widened, "What-no! I'm fine! He just nipped me; didn't even break the sk-"

"Let. Me. See."

Internally, James quailed from the razor-sharp look in her emerald eyes that silenced any and all argument. "Fine." He grunted.

Sam didn't let up her 'look' as she said "Good," and climbed down off the loft. She said turning to look at him expectantly, "Now come down. I want to see how bad it is." James just slid off the landing entirely while ignoring her cry of, "No, use the ladder!"

Metal caught the underside of his shirt and he was too late to stop it.

_RIIIIPPP!_

For a moment, no one said anything.

James looked at Sam.

Sam looked at James.

Cool air tickled his bare skin…

"Oh, come on!" James exclaimed as he craned his neck to glare at the split in his shirt running up his back. A tattered scrap of grey fabric hung on a loose nail that stuck out of the edge the loft like some sort of flag. "Just…_seriously?" _He growled, running a hand through his long hair,, "Great! Just great!" He angrily tore away his now perfectly ruined shirt with the cry of, "There goes ANOTHER shirt!"

"…_Whoa." _Was all Sam thought.

Sam was not a romantic girl; never had been. It had been one of the things that set her apart from the others. She didn't go googly-eyed over the first cute guy that walked past like Jessica or Hannah. She considered herself rather level-headed when it came to the opposite sex and did _not_ go around undressing guys with her eyes. Then again, she never had someone _actually undress_ for her eyes to see what was underneath. Well...he certainly did not look hurt. Lean and compact muscles swelled with each breath James took. His round shoulders and large biceps flexed distractedly when he moved to press his fingers to his temples to relieve a headache. Trying not to pay attention how the muscles of his back resembled the letter V, she desperately searched for something else to stare at…

…and stopped.

Leading down the back of James' left shoulder were pink pockets of round, puckered scar-tissue that stood out in sharp contrast to the rest of his skin.

James sighed and fully turned around to face her with an embarrassed expression "You don't happen to have a spare shirt, do you?"

Sam couldn't answer. Now, if she were Jessica or Emily, she'd be saying how he looked _'even better from the front'_ and admiring his 6-pack or something like that, but Sam was more focused on the scars. Four faded lines carved a path across his chest coming down from his left shoulder and ending just below his ribs. They were harsh with uneven edges and looked like they'd been deep wounds. It was like a bear had gone and slashed a paw across his chest. Either that or someone had carved him up with a very big knife. The worst was his shoulder. A messy crisscross of uneven scar-tissue wrapped over his collarbone and danced dangerously close to his neck.

Sam's breath caught in her throat when she realized they were bite-marks.

"Take a picture; it'll last longer." Came the irritated growl that pulled her out of her thoughts. Sam blinked as James turned his body awkwardly away from her to hide the scars, "W-what happened?" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

James's whole body went stiff at her words, "…I was attacked." He said after a moment, hands curling into fists.

"By what?" Sam floundered, "A bear?"

"Yeah." James said quietly "A _bear_. It chased me…I wasn't fast enough."

Sam swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Does…do they hurt?" She asked.

"No." Came the strangely bitter reply, "No, they don't hurt at all."

Silence reigned.

"Hey...James?" Sam called.

James glanced over his shoulder, and she held up her right arm and pulled down her sleeve to show him what was underneath and said, "I lost two good friends a while ago. It was a whole shit-show how it all happened…"

"_What happened? Where is my sister going?"_

"_It was just a prank, Han!"_

Sam pushed past the old ache and anger the memories brought and pointed to the faded lines across her wrist for James to see "I cut myself…afterwards." She let out a humorless chuckle, "I blamed myself for what happened, for not doing anything more to stop what happened to them…" She closed her eyes and covered her wrist. "You're not the only one with scars you're not proud of." Sam finished by looking at him with an empty smile.

James just stared at her, "I-I'm sorry." He fumbled awkwardly.

Sam shrugged "Don't be. I'm sorry for staring."

James stared at her, and after a moment, he swallowed past his own pain welling up in his throat and said, "...I know what it's like to lose people, too; feel like you could have at least done _something _to stop it."

"Is that what happened?" Sam said, indicating his scars.

James sighed, and after a moment, nodded. "Yeah." He admitted quietly "We went out on a camping trip." Why was he telling her this? Why couldn't he stop talking? The words justflowed free and he was unable to stop, "There were six of us. Just a weekend at one of the campgrounds. Kelsey and Max roped us all into it. They were drunk when they pitched the idea. So were and Gabe and Jonathan when they agreed, now that I think about it, heh. Brock and I were just along for the ride."

He laughed at the memory.

"_Guys, guys! I got…got…I got this campground me and Kelsey rented, right? And-shut up, Gabe-I'm talking-we want you all to come. There's gonna be booze, food, a bonfire; it's gonna be great!" Max slurred over his words while hanging off an equally tipsy Kelsey._

"_I got one question!" Jonathan asked with a very serious expression on his face, although the image was ruined by the way he swayed on his feet, "Will there be s'mores?" _

"_Fuck yeah they'll be s'mores!" Kelsey exclaimed. Jonathan strode over to her with that same dead-serious look plastered on his face and high-fived her. "I'm in!" He said and turned to look at the curled-up lump that was Gabe, "Gabe, you in?" _

_The arm that shot up in a thumbs-up was the answer._

"_Alright!" Max cheered, "Brock? James?"_

"_I'm down." Brock said, taking a pull from his beer. _

_James shrugged, "Sure, I don't have any plans."_

"_Woop-woop!" Kelsey said, pumping her palms up in a 'raise-the-roof' motion._

"_This is gonna be awesome!" Max had said grinning around at all of them, "We're gonna have a blast!"_

"We just got settled in to go to sleep when it came…they didn't stand a _chance…" _James shook his head to rid himself of the blood-soaked images that danced in the forefront of his brain, "Jonathan told me to run…I didn't want to, but I did. Someone found me by the time it got me and scared it off." He sighed and shrugged, "I woke up in the hospital."

Sam stared at him as the pieces fell into place. The names of his dead friends, the details of his story, and everything else so far left her without a doubt in her mind. She in took a deep breath, let it out, and steeled herself for what was to come.

"They still haven't found it." She told him. James face twisted in confusion, "The bear that attacked you." She clarified. Bolstered by his silence, she continued with, "You're James Steele." And tried for a disarming smile, "A little far from Michigan, aren't you?"

She watched his expression go from confused, to wide-eyed shock, and finally settled on becoming a blank slate.

"Well…aren't you going say something?" Sam said to him after a moment of silence.

James opened his mouth to speak, paused, and then closed it and licked his lips, "You going to call the police?" He grunted quietly.

"I don't know. Should I?"

James just shrugged in response. Sam frowned, pursed her lips, and took a step closer to him, "You're the one who hopped the border, too, aren't you?" James was quiet for another moment before he let out a weary sigh from the depths of his soul and nodded. Sam frowned and took another step forward, eyes roaming over him, "But…they said they shot somebody…"

"I tripped and fell down when the guy took the shot." James answered her unasked question. Well, he did trip and fall because a _bullet entered his leg, _but he really couldn't explain that his body healed like fucking Wolverine, now could he?

"Seriously?" Sam questioned.

James just and shrugged nodded.

"Why did you run away in the first place?" Sam asked him in a serious tone, her eyes emerald-hard again. James opened his mouth to speak, but choked on the lump that suddenly formed in his throat.

_Claws burst free from his fingers as the maddening itch of millions of hairs sprouted all over him began…_

_Uncle Bert lying in a puddle of his own blood, his throat a wet, ripped out hole…_

_Sobs echoed in the bathroom as he scrubbed away at his skin to wipe the sticky, red blood off his body…_

"It's my fault…" James choked out "It's my fault that….that _monster_ killed my uncle!" The suspicion drained from Sam as she watched a single tear trail from his pain-clouded eyes, "The…" James struggled to get the words out, "The _animal _killed him! I couldn't do anything, I was..."

_Trapped, gone, no more._

_A **monster.**_

"I couldn't do anything to stop it! It tore everything to pieces…my uncle…oh god, Uncle Bert…"

_Why? Why did this happen? Everything was my fault; Uncle Bert, Kelsey, Jonathan, Brock, Gabe….god WHY? It's my fault! They're dead because of me! Why? WhywhywhywhywhywhyWHY-_

"James!"

_Somuchbloodohgodhecouldn'tBREATHE!-_

"JAMES!"

Spring green eyes swam into focus, staring into his. Sam was right in front of him and holding his arms by his wrists away from his face, "James." She repeated in a firm but urgent tone, "I want you to breathe. In through your nose and out through your mouth like this." She demonstrated twice until he complied. It eased the sharp pain in his chest he didn't know he had until now. "Good." Sam said as she kneeled down next to him, "Keep breathing just like that. There you go…"

Wait, kneeled?

…Why was he on the floor?

"What happened?" James asked as his bearings slowly came back to him.

"I think you had a panic attack." Sam answered lightly.

James frowned, "A panic attack?" He asked, bewildered.

"Yeah." Sam told him. She pulled him up and helped him to his feet, "I have a friend who has them a lot."

"I've never had one before." He said in a bewildered tone of voice.

Sam couldn't help but crack a wry, humorless smile, "First time for everything, I guess?" She laughed hollowly before turning dead-serious, "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Was his immediate response.

"Fine doesn't mean okay." Sam responded in earnest.

James frowned at her words, "That doesn't make any sense." He told her.

"Well, neither does your hair!"

"My _hair?_" He questioned, surprised and slightly offended.

"It's so scruffy!" Sam exclaimed, going so far as to reach up to tweak a lock of said hair, "Like you're wearing a animal on your head!"

James stared at Sam.

Sam stared at James.

For a moment, neither said anything and Sam worried her attempt at humor had been a mistake.

"It does not." James grunted after a moment, facial muscles twitching to fight a smile.

Sam smiled unabashedly "Yes it does. First thing's first, you're going to need a haircut if you're going to stay here."

James faltered, "You mean-"

"I'm not gonna rat you out." Sam said shaking her head, "Holes in your story aside, I don't really see a reason to tattle." Her expression turned pensive, "Look, James, I don't know what happened to you, and I'm not going to act like I do, but…" She placed a hand on his unscarred shoulder, "I'm a pretty good judge of character. You're not a bad person. Scruffy and rough around the edges, maybe, but you're not trouble". She teased.

James held back from correcting her otherwise. He _was _trouble, just…not right _now_, anyway…

"And if you are, I'll just kick your ass and hand you over to the police myself."

James blinked at the casual way she said that, "Good to know?" He tried answering.

Sam patted his shoulder "Anytime, Sunshine!" She answered with that dry tone of hers.

James snorted before a sudden thought hit him and he frowned. "Why do you want to help me?" He asked.

For a moment, Sam said nothing. Then the skin around her eyes tightened; green eyes clouding with a distant sadness and pain. "You remind me of someone I know." She said wetting her lips, "That friend I said who has panic attacks? You remind me of him after the friends I told you about died. They were his sisters. We try to help him, but he just doesn't let us, and…well, he went off the deep end a few times and almost…" She trailed off.

_Late-night calls from the hospital telling her Josh had overdosed..._

_Walking in on him with a knife pressed against his wrist..._

_The __gun__…_

"I just don't want to see someone else go under." She admitted.

"...thank you." James whispered.

She sighed after a moment and looked up into his stunned expression, "I don't know about you, but I'm kind of getting tired of all this emotional spieling we're doing here, how about you?" She said, cracking a wry, crooked grin.

James blinked and snorted "Way to ruin the moment." He teased, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Eh, I'm not a 'moment' person anyway. Spewing my inner angst all over the place is pretty draining." Sam told him dryly.

James rolled his eyes, "Good to know. So...we good?" He asked her.

"We're good." Sam confirmed with a smile.

"Fantastic…now, can I please get a shirt?"

Sam rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah keep your hair on…we got to take care of something first, though."

_**XXXX**_

Sam cracked the door open just enough peek her head out. The dogs had been pacing restlessly around the entrance and the second the door slid open, they swarmed; barking and whining.

"Back!" Sam said firmly, sliding one leg out. Lou moved forward, nose twitching and a growl forming in his throat, "Lou_, back!_" She repeated the command in a sterner tone. Lou obliged and rejoined his brothers in barking and howling. "Good, good." Sam said absently. She looked over her shoulder "Come on." She told James, who looked just about as apprehensive as her dogs, "They have to know you're with me. It'll be fine, James, I promise." She added in a softer tone upon seeing fear flash in his eyes. She gently pulled him out of the shed with her while keeping a firm grip on his wrist. When James emerged, Glue and Bud moved forward; snapping and snarling. James tensed behind her, but Sam stepped forward. "Hey!" She barked at the dogs, "That's enough!" The dogs barked in protest and Sam took another step forward while pulling James towards her, "Get closer." She said to him, "They have to see you with me to know you're okay."

James obliged and touched his shoulder against hers. Sam let go of his hand and placed hers firmly on his shoulder while making sure her body was pressed against his to reinforce the image. Slowly, the dogs barking began to lessen.

"Okay, give me your hand. Let them smell you." Sam instructed as she took his hand and lowered themselves to kneel on the grass. One by one, their barking winded down to unsure growls.

"He's okay, babies!" She cooed softly to her dogs. Bud stepped forward, nose whiffling loudly and eyes darting between James and where their hands met. Sam brought James hand outstretched with hers towards Bud. "See, he's okay!" Bud stopped just out of reach of James' hand and gave his knuckles a tentative whiff. "Good boy, Bud." Sam praised the dog, lifting her free hand to pet his head. The other two fell in behind their brother to come up and sniff James's outstretched hand. "There we go." Sam said softly as she slowly let go of James and let her dogs smell him freely. James, to her credit, didn't even flinch when she let go. Instead he stood still as each of the dogs inspected him. One by one, tails began to wag and James suddenly found himself surrounded by much friendlier dogs.

Suddenly, Glue let out a playful yelp before putting his paws on James' shoulders and attacked his hair with his tongue. The others followed suit and jumped all over him; licking James like he was covered in peanut butter. James dutifully bore the assault with eyes and lips clenched shut to prevent dog slobber from getting in.

When Sam giggled at his expense, James cracked an eye open to stare at her, "Something funny?" He grunted past Lou's tongue.

Sam shrugged in response, "This whole scenario for one thing." She said wryly, "They hated you and now they love you." Her smile turned pensive and she said, "In fact, they're never this playful with strangers..."

James looked from her to the dogs who were sniffing at his face with excited eyes and panting heavily, "It's an animal thing, I guess." He said with an expression Sam couldn't place and ruffled the dogs fur.

Then he scowled.

"Now, for the love of god, can I please get a shirt!"

Sam laughed out loud.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: Misconceptions_

_Chris_

Chris couldn't stop staring at his phone. More specifically, he couldn't stop staring at his contact list. The conversation he'd held with Sam had been running around in his head ever since he ended the call. It wasn't every day when your friend calls and asks you to investigate a guy who'd been reported missing from America. Chris knew Sam had a big heart, but she had a habit of biting off more than she could chew when it came to helping people. Case in point; Josh! It was like Sam had appointed herself responsible for his well-being. She wasn't Dr. Hill! Chris came to the realization that there was only so much they could do for Josh sooner than she had. His friend needed help; _professional _help with a capital P. Then again, Chris hadn't really seen or heard from Josh in weeks, so he couldn't say that he was up-to-date on his friend's mental health.

Ever since Hannah and Beth…

Chris shook her head, refusing to down that mental path. Instead, he refocused on his phone and pursed his lips. He wanted to tell someone about this; specifically, Ashley. He could tell that girl anything! But, he didn't want to break his promise to Sam…ugh, he _hated _being put in a corner like this! Chris got up and began to pace. His eyes roamed over various computer parts and circuit boards laying about his bedroom.

"Sorry Sam." Chris muttered to himself.

Before he knew it, he'd dialed Ashley's number and was listening to the dial tone. Sam could be in trouble, and that girl always took on more than she could handle most of the time. The thing was that Sam and Josh were also similar in the sense that they didn't like to talk about their feelings or show weakness; even when they were over their head. Estranged or not, Chris did _not _want to lose another friend, promise or no.

"_Chris, what's up?"_

Ashley's voice made him smile, although it died when he remembered why he was calling in the first place.

"Hey, Ash." He sighed and sat down on his bed, "I need to tell you something important."

"_Okay?"_

"It's about Sam. I talked to her the other day. She just called me out of the blue and…okay, let me start from the beginning."

Chris gave her the rundown of the conversation he'd had with Sam about the disappearance of James Steele and her suspicion that she'd found him.

"_Has she called the police?" _

"That's the thing; she asked me not to tell anyone!"

_"Are you serious? This is her ex all over again!" _Ashley groaned.

"Yep." Chris said with a sigh.

"_So, why are you calling me if Sam told you not too?"_

"Because I have to, Ash; I'm worried about her."

"_You think she might be in danger or something?"_

"All I know is that ever since Hannah and Beth she's developed this whole batman complex."

"_Batman complex?"_

"Like, she's keeps trying to 'save' people. People she's never met before! It's like she's trying to make up for what happened to them!"

There was a shared moment of silence before Ashley asked, _"So, what are we gonna do?" _

A smile tugged at his lips again, "We, huh?" He asked.

Ashley scoffed, _"Uh, yeah 'we'. I say we go down there tomorrow and scope this guy out." _

Chris frowned, "What, like…spy on him?"

"_At least see what Sam's talking about. If nothing's wrong, then we got nothing to worry about, right?"_

"Right." Chris breathed, "You're , I gotta finish something I'm working on and then I'll call you right back. We'll plan ourselves a _stakeout!_" He said bombastically. Chris could practically hear her rolling her eyes_. _

"_You're such a dork." _She said.

"You do know what a dork is, right? It's actually means whale-"

"_Bye, Chris!" _She cut him off and quickly hung up.

Chris chuckled and smiled at his phone. Talking to Ash always made him feel better; it was one of the reasons he liked her so much. Chris sighed as he put his phone down and stared into his computer screen. He'd been *ahem*_ 'working' _on a project for his economic's class, but the call had sucked the drive right out of him. He closed his laptop and took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. Well, he said he was going to plan a stakeout, so he might as well do a little more research on James Steele.

Ten minutes later and some choice swear words, Chris was phoning Josh.

In hindsight, Josh really shouldn't have been the first person to call in regards to something like this, but Chris kept turning up article after article on James Steele that was beginning to sound like James himself had something to do with the deaths in Michigan. Why had the guy run in the first place? All the way from Michigan to Calgary in almost five months? That wasn't suspicious at all! Maybe he was jumping to conclusions, but things were starting to look fishy. Then, he found the news report proclaiming they found another body. Discovered close to the house Bert Steele was killed in, the body was that of an unidentified male; emphasis on the unidentifiable part. The corpse had been completely naked and looked to have been torn to shreds. People were beginning to suspect a serial killer. Perhaps someone who had kidnapped James Steele. That didn't seem to be the case if what Sam told him was true.

Josh had always been his go-to for everything and old habits died hard. Josh was, well, Chris didn't want to say unstable. More like…complicated. Then again, he did loose Hannah and Beth. Chris was an only child, but even he knew that he'd be dealing with some serious grief if he lost siblings like that. The two barely talked nowadays and it stung. Now, Chris was always the one to initiate conversation between them and every time they (barely) hung out, Josh was distant and detached; separated from whatever was going on. He was a totally different person from the thoughtful, older-brother figure he was used to from his best friend.

He wasn't surprised when he heard Josh's voicemail and he went straight to sending him a text.

_Chris__: Dude pick up EMERGENCY! It's about Sam!_

Chris knew Josh and Sam were close, and despite what they might say, Chris was also fairly sure there was something between them. He might have felt bad for using Sam as motivation but it wasn't like he didn't care about Sam either. She was a cool girl, and they'd remained in contact in the aftermath of the prank. While Josh and Sam bonded over the death of the twins, Chris and Sam bonded over Josh. They both worried for him and tried to help him every chance they got.

To his utter suprise, Josh called him back a minute later. Chris scrambled to answer it, "Hey, man!" He said into his phone.

"_Chris?" _Josh's voice lacked that dull, faraway tone he seemed to have nowadays, which Chris took as a good sign _"What's wrong? Is Sam okay?"_

_**Sam is but you're not.**_

The words swirled around in his brain and filled him with bitterness that halted his reply 'Y-yeah man, she's fine." He said, and immediately regretted it.

"_Then, why-"_

_**Why did I call you? Because maybe I wanted to talk to my best friend again? Make sure he's still alive?**_

"Because she's around someone who might not make her fine?" Chris cringed at the butchered grammar that passed through his lips, "Look man, I don't know the details, but Sam thinks this guy who's working on her farm is some missing dude or something."

"_Huh?" _

Chris rubbed the back of his head, seriously hating how this conversation was going nowhere, "Me and Ash are going to head down to the farm maybe today to get a glimpse of this guy and see if he matches the description I found online."

He tried to open his mouth to explain further, but Josh abruptly hung up.

"Damn it!" He cursed and tossed his phone onto his desk as a sour feeling welling up inside him. Just _once, _could they talk like they used to? Chris knew he was hurting, but Josh was hurting _him _by not acting like his friend anymore! Chris wanted to call him back, except he knew Josh wouldn't pick up. This was out of hand. If Josh was going to cut and run like this, especially when it involved _Sam, _Chris didn't know what to say or do to excuse him.

"Fine!" He said out loud as he grabbed his phone again and pulled up Ashley's contact again, "If you won't care about your friends, I will."

_**XXXXX**_

_Josh_

Josh set the phone down and stared at the screen until it faded to black with his mind whirling. He stood up from his bed and walked over to the bathroom where he turned on the sink and splashed his face with cold water. He shook his head and stared into the mirror to see his reflection, only to realize he hadn't even turned the lights on. When he did, he immediately regretted it. The sudden brightness made his sockets throb. He blinked away the glare and stared at himself through squinted eyes. Dark circles underlined bloodshot eyes that sat in a thinning face. He'd lost weight, his hair was a tangled mess that failed to be tamed whatsoever, and his skin had a sallow pallor that made him look sickly.

Josh blinked at the disheveled person in the mirror before cracking a grin. "Lookin' good, Joshy-boy." He told himself. God, his voice was raspy. His throat hurt, too, and he could use a drink of water…

Why did he come in here again?

Josh wracked his brains and stared at the white marble of the sink until the answer came back to him. Sam. Chris had just called him about Sam. She was in trouble, although Cochise sounded unsure. Someone was threatening her? Someone was missing? God, his head hurt trying to remember the details. He hadn't taken any of his meds yet. Maybe that was why he couldn't focus? All he knew was that he needed to see Sam. To check up on her, right? Fuck, his head hurt! Josh opened the medicine cabinet and raked his eyes over all the different pill bottles inside. He selected a choice few, cracked them open, and shook out one of each into his palm. He popped them into his mouth and swallowed them down with water from the sink, which he had left running.

_There ya go, Hill! Look at me! I am taking my prescribed medication! Aren't I a good boy?_

Josh lumbered out of the bathroom without turning the light off. The darkness of his room was a welcoming change in atmosphere and he climbed onto his bed and rolled over on his back.

Sam.

Sam, Sam, Sammy.

Samantha Giddings.

His friend. Hannah's best friend too.

The only one who understood…

How long has it been since he last talked to her? A day? A week? Fuck if he knew. He probably should check up on her, right? She cared about him and he cared about her. It was inconsiderate of him to just lay here while she was out working on her farm all alone. He wouldn't be the only one. Chris and Ashley were headed down there today to check out some guy…

Wait, that wasn't right…

Huh, maybe Hill's pills were working or something because he was starting to recall the conversation he'd just had with Chris not five minutes ago. He shook his head at the clarity and focused on the words that stuck out at him; mostly _Sam, guy, _and _danger_. He was up before he knew what he was doing, leaving the sanctity of his room and heading out into the hallway. God knew where his parents were, but he didn't give a shit at this point. He doubted they would know if he borrowed the car, right?

He wasn't really supposed to be driving according to Hill, but he didn't really care what his therapist said. Sam was in danger and he needed to see what was up. Besides, he hadn't seen her in a while and wanted to surprise her. Sliding into his car, he fired the engine up and pulled out of the driveway. He knew the way to Sam's place by heart; it had been one of their group's main hangouts before…before Hannah and Beth...

_It hurt to think about them! Hurt so much!_

It took about thirty minutes tops to get to her place since he lived close to the city, twenty if he took the backroads. He didn't particularly feel like driving on the highway today, so the backroads it was!

"Hang on, Sammy." He muttered to himself as he headed down the street "Joshy's a-comin'!"

She was going to be so surprised!

_**XXXXX**_

_Sam_

Sam raised an eyebrow at the sight before her. "Well," She drawled, "This is certainly a sight."

James stopped scrubbing wet and muddy dog fur for a second to scowl at her, "I blame you for this." He growled and caught a mouthful of wet dog fur in the process. Sam's eyebrow rose higher and her mouth quirked upwards.

"Uh-huh, sure." She quipped.

James scowled and went back to washing down the three muddy dogs pacing around him. "I want to point out that _you're _the one who let them play in mud." He added.

Sam shrugged, "Yeah, what's your point?"

"Why do _I _have to clean them?" James grumbled as he tried to keep Lou still enough to wipe a particularly stubborn clump of dirt off the canine's back.

It had been over a week since the day James started working at the farm. Things between him and Sam had gradually evolved into a genuine friendship. They hadn't spoken about what that happened in the shed, much to James' relief. He still didn't understand why she continued to be kind and friendly to him afterward like they had been friends for years. It had unnerved him at first, but he eventually came to realize that was just who Samantha Giddings was. She treated him like a normal person, and he appreciated her dearly for it. In turn, he had found that he could no longer keep up the wall of gruff stoicism he'd built for the world whenever she was around.

Sam bit back a laugh at his annoyed expression and the open-mouthed, tongue-lolling happiness of her pets prancing around him. Occasionally, they rubbed up against him in affection which rubbed more mud against the already wet and dirty James.

"Well, because I'm a lady and I don't want to get my nails dirty!" She said in a faux-dainty voice.

James rolled his eyes and dipped the sponge-rag back into the bucket of water, "I think you just like to mess with me and boss me around." he responded.

Sam tilted her head with a smirk and replied, "That too. You're practically my secretary now since we keep getting assigned together so much." James grunted something under his breath that made Sam's eyebrow rise once more, "I'm sorry, what was that?" She asked.

James lifted his head to scowl at her, but Sam saw the mirth in his eyes, "I said if I'm supposed to be _your_ secretary, then I want a raise." He said.

Sam put her hands on her hips and stared down at him over the bridge of her nose, "Oh ho, is that so, mister Steele?"

James stared right back at her without blinking, "Yes, it is, miss Giddings. Along with a fresh change of clothes since these were my last pair of clean-ACK!"

A spray of water smacked him in the face and cut him off, courtesy of the hose Sam snatched up. The dogs went wild for stream of water; barking and crowding in front of James to snap at it. Sam laughed at James' glare when he stood back up and gave him a pointed look.

"Oh come on, that was funny." She teased.

"No, it wasn't."

"It was and you know it. You're trying not to smile!"

"No, I'm not."

Sam rolled her eyes at him. Yes, he was. She raked her eyes over his appearance and grimaced at how dirty he really was, "Yeah, why don't you go for that change of clothes, big guy. I'll take it from here."

James looked down at the dogs crowding around his feet and panting up at him, and looked back at her, "They're just going to follow me, again." He complained

"Because they love you!" Sam cooed. She walked over to Glue and ran her fingers over his shaggy head, "You're like, part of the pack now!"

James shifted uncomfortably at the terminology and glanced off to the side. Fortunately, Sam didn't notice. That girl had an uncanny ability to tell when something was wrong with him.

"I still can't get over how much they like you, now. It's like they never attacked you in the first place." She said. Which had bothered Sam quite a bit and made her question if there was something wrong with her dogs afterwards.

"It's probably because of the way I smelled." James offered. It was most likely true. James didn't doubt her dogs had smelled, if not _sensed_, what he truly was. Most animals did, anyway. It actually proved a bit useful when he'd take to the woods away from civilization or camp under the trees and stars for the night. Small scavenging animals like rats or raccoons steered clear from him and his dwindling rations while he slept. When faced with any other animals, mainly dogs, they went crazy. Upon noticing Sam's questioning stare, he floundered for a better explanation.

"They saw an unknown male alone with the alpha female and acted accordingly?" He tried.

It's what he would do anyway._…_

_Wait, where the hell had that come from?_

Sam opened her mouth to reply, paused, and then closed it with a considering expression, "I guess that would make sense." She shrugged, "Can't say I've been alone with many guys out here and…" She stopped, expression turning sly.

"What?" James asked, fearing the answer.

Sam looked at him with that damnable teasing expression of hers and asked, "Alone with the alpha female, huh?"

_Oh shit._

Sam knelt down and rubbed her fingers through her dog's fur, not caring in the slightest when they turned brown, "Aw, you guys are so sweet." She cooed at them, "Protecting mama from this big, bad boy when she was all alone! Don't worry, he's not my type anyway." She stage-whispered. James rubbed his temples. Just _why _did this girl have to make everything so weird?

"Or, they thought I was challenging you for alpha position." He grunted.

Sam stood back up and looked into his eyes with a sly smile, green eyes glinting "Sorry, big guy." She told him "But I'm top dog around here."

For a second, they just stared at each other, neither breaking eye contact. Then, James began to shake his head.

"That was terrible." He told her.

Sam snickered "What can I say? I'm feeling kinda _punny _today."

James just shook his head and walked away, "I'm going to get changed." He grunted.

Sam giggled as her dogs followed him and whistled for them to stop. As funny as having three dirty dogs jumping all over James, they had to get clean, otherwise they'd be jumping all over _her _instead.

_**XXXXX**_

_Chris & Ashley_

Ashley looked over at Chris as they pulled onto the gravel driveway of the Giddings farm.

"Uh, Chris?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Does Sam even know we're coming?"

Chris blinked. "Uhh…"

Ashley gawked at him, "Seriously? You didn't even tell her we were coming?"

Chris chuckled nervously as he pulled under the old oak tree where used to always would park when coming over Sam's.

"I, uh, wasn't?"

Ashley groaned, "Chris!" She chastised.

"Ash, if we see Sam then we tell her what's up! Besides, we used to just randomly come up here all the time! I doubt she'll mind." He told her as he opened his door, "We'll be in and out before you know it, I promise!"

Ashley rolled her eyes and opened her door, "Okay, but if Sam throws a fit, I'm telling her it was your idea to show up unannounced."

Chris placed a hand on his chest and bowed at the waist, "Of course, milady." He said.

Ashley just rolled her eyes and they started to walk while taking in the view. The Giddings farm hadn't changed much since the last time they visited. Other vehicles filled the gravel drive that led to a two-story farmhouse with faded yellow paint, missing shingles, and a large front porch that looked out over a sprawling green lawn. An enormous barn faced the house. Workers could be seen milling in and around it from the distance. A crop of yellow-gold wheat could be seen to the far left of the property, and through the trees to their right, a few horses galloped around in a paddock. Ashley couldn't help but smile as memories warmed in her mind. Hannah had loved horses and professionally rode them, too. It was one of the reasons her and Sam had been best friends. Every time Hannah came to the farm, she'd at least visit the horses once.

As if Chris was reading her mind, he pointed off to the horses and said, "Remember the time I tried to ride one?"

She did. Chris had boasted that 'anyone could ride a horse' and Hannah invited him to try. A confident Chris went and climb up into the saddle, and seven or eight tries later, he finally managed to saddle on up and ride off into the sunset for a whole ten seconds. He had let go of the reigns to show off, lost his balance, and fell off. The best part was the horse kept on trotting like nothing happened. Needless to say, they'd all laughed about that one for a long while. Ashley giggled at the memory of Chris cheering and thrusting a fist in the air before sliding a full 90 degrees and falling into the dirt.

"How could I forget?" She said with a smile.

"I still say it was the horses' fault." Chris defended himself as they set foot onto the property.

Ashley rolled her eyes and stuck her hands into her sweater's pockets, "Suuure it was! It was the horses fault you couldn't defy the laws of gravity."

Chris buffed his nails on his shirt with a smirk, "Well, I'm all about defying physics!" He shot her a sideways glance complete with a eyebrow wriggles, "And being on top."

Ashley shoved him "Gross!" She giggled before sweeping her eyes across the farmland, "Seriously, this place hasn't changed a bit!"

Chris nodded in agreement, "It's like we were just here yesterday instead of…" He let out a breath, "How long has it been? Months?"

"Certainly feels that way." Ashley agreed softly. She shook her head, "We're getting sidetracked. How about we focus on why we're here?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Chris rolled his eyes and shot her a grin, "Our _stakeout!"_

"...Did you really have to add jazz hands?"

"Of course I did. It makes it more awesome that way."

"I'd say dorky."

"You mean whale penis-y?"

"Shut _up_, Chis!"

Not five minutes after they walked away, a black Buick pull up alongside Chris's jeep, and out stepped Joshua Washington.

He walked forward and overlooked the farm with a fond smile. Hannah had loved this place; they all had. Six months felt like a decade now. The memories of that time they spent together seemed like a whole other life. Josh shook his head and took out his phone to bring up Sam's number. He hoped she wasn't busy, or that she had her phone on her, else he'd have to leave a message and wait. Get with the times, Giddings! Gotta keep your cellular device on you at all times!

His thumb hovered over the call button before he took a breath and pressed it.

_**XXXXX**_

_Sam_

Sam blinked as she felt her phone vibrate inside her pocket.

"Excuse me for a second." She told the workers she'd been talking to and pulled out her phone. People rarely called her, and the only ones who did were her parents, her grandparents, and…

She gawked when she saw who was calling and answered immediately.

"Josh?"

A pause, and then, _"Hey, Sam!"_

"J-Josh, hi!" She balked and walked away after a quick excuse to the workers, "Hi! How are you? Are you okay? How've you been?"

"_I've been, Sammy!"_ Came the deep chuckle, followed by a much more serious, _"Look, Sam, are you busy right now? I have to talk to you about something." _

Sam bit her lip. Worry splashed into her gut as a dozen different scenarios flashed through her mind. Did he hurt himself again? Did something happen with his therapist? His parents?

"_Look, can you come up to your driveway?"_

Wait, what? Sam spun in the direction of said driveway and stared at a figure standing at the lip of the drive. Her jaw dropped.

"J-Josh? Is that you?" She asked and waved.

"_Yeah, I see you waving!"_

The figure waved back.

Sam hurried up the incline towards the figure of her old friend. "Josh!" She gasped into the phone "What are you doing here?" She said as she drew closer.

Josh stayed where he was without moving,_" I wanted to make sure you were okay."_

Confusion shot through her.

"Okay?" She asked "I'm fine!"

_"Can we talk about this more when you're up here? I'd rather talk face to face." _Was all he said before hanging up. Sam stopped walking and stared at her phone for a moment before looking back to where Josh stood. A sigh escaped her before she pocketed her phone and trudged the rest of the way up to where Josh stood with his back turned to her, staring down at his phone and tapping his foot on the gravel.

"Josh?" She called hesitantly.

Josh turned on his heel and looked at her with his signature, devil-may-care grin, "Sammy!" He greeted happily, throwing out his arms wide and stepping forward to embrace her. Sam could only return the hug.

"Josh, what are you doing here?" She asked when he stepped away.

He shrugged, "What, I can't swing by to check up on my friend? I came to see if you're okay!"

He acted like he'd only seen last week and not in a couple months, and now he was here out of the blue asking if she was okay? _"If you actually talked to me, you'd know if I was!" _Something angry inside her hissed, but she ignored it. Instead she focused on the young man in front of her. She did not like what she saw. Josh looked like he'd lost even more weight than the last time she'd seen him. His skin was pale and there were dark rings under his eyes. His hair was an absolute mess and his clothes looked like he'd slept in them. Smelled like it, too.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat and pushed a smile onto her face, "Well, I'm fine, as you can see!" She laughed.

Josh chuckled, too; a raspy sound that sounded nothing like his old laugh. It made her heart ache to see how far he'd let himself go, but she forced herself to not let it show. She had come to learn Josh hated pity of any sort.

"Good, that's good." He said, rubbing the back of his hair, "I'm beginning to think Cochise lied when he said you were in trouble."

Sam's strained smile dissolved into a frown.

"Chris said what?"

Josh's head tilted to the side, studying her with bloodshot eyes that were now oddly sharp, "Haven't you talked to him?"

Sam nodded her head, "Yeah, a week ago..." She stared at Josh with an uneasy feeling building in her stomach and asked, "Josh, what did Chris say to you?"

Josh was still staring at her with that calculating look that unnerved her. It was like all the groggy happiness he'd worn earlier had washed away. Josh said, "Chris told me that you were in trouble; that there was some guy from the news here-"

Sam's mouth fell open.

"-and that he's some...fugitive or something." Josh trailed off noticing her expression. His eyes narrowed at her before widening, "He's here, isn't he?"

"Josh-" Sam began, but Josh spoke over her.

"Where is he? Did he hurt you?" He demanded with eyes darting around as if James would pop out at any moment.

"What? No! Josh, calm down!"

Josh's eyes refocused on her, wild and angry. It scared her.

"Sam, what's going on?" He asked.

Sam looked at him before grabbing his wrinkly sleeve and pulled him along towards her house. "Let's...let's just talk inside, okay?" She spoke softly to him, "This is all a _huge _misunderstanding." She chuckled while silently cursing Chris under her breath.

_**XXXXX**_

_Chris & Ashley_

It took some asking around, retracing their steps, and much needed directions from the other workers, but they finally found the guy they were looking. And yes, he _was _the guy they were looking for.

"That's the guy." Chris stated for the fifth time in a row.

"Yes, Chris, I know."

"But that's the guy!"

"I know! What, did you think we were gonna find some other guy?" Ashley hissed quietly.

"I don't know! I just thought that…he wasn't really real?"

Ashley introduced her forehead to the palm of her hand, muttering, "You are such a dip."

The _'Guy'_, as Chris had dubbed him, was James Steel, who had just ducked into the horse stables. They, on the other hand, were hiding behind a couple of barrels scattered around the outside even though it was broad daylight and everyone could see them. They were getting some weird glances, too.

"So, what do we do?" Ashley asked.

Chris just blinked.

"Huh?"

Ashley just groaned, got up from behind their cover, and crept towards the barn.

Chris got up and followed her, "Ash, wait!" He hissed.

She ignored him and crept along the side of the shed towards the entrance and poked her head around the corner. Chris did the same, using his height to peek over her head. She then ducked inside without a word of warning. "Great." Chris groaned and begrudgingly followed close behind. Upon entering, he was roughly yanked into one of the empty horse stalls by Ashley. A choice word was about to slip his lips, but was quickly silenced by her hand. "Shh!" She shushed him and motioned over to where James Steele was standing with his back to them. Glancing over the stall, Ashley tilted her head to get a better look at what he was doing. James was currently appraising an old, wooden ladder. A moment later, he shrugged and hoisted it up to carry it over to the loft and leaned it against the edge. Then, he began to climb. Ashley frowned; Sam's farm had a lot of old tools, equipment, and machines scattered around the property that were decades old. That ladder looked well past its prime with broken rungs and cracks along its surface. It looked like it would snap any minute-

As if on cue, the old wood gave a sickening snap and the ladder split in two with James halfway up. Chris tensed and Ashley gave a small gasp and covered her mouth, both thinking they were about to see someone get seriously hurt. James twisted to avoid the falling halves of ladder and landed hard with a stumble. He let out a groan and grumbled something under his breath as he straightened and dusted himself off. He glared down at the broken ladders and spat, "Fuck!" before looking up at the loft again.

"So, why did you drag us in here to spy on a guy whose involved with the murder of his uncle, again?" Chris whispered into Ashley's ear, "What if he's, like, harboring drugs, or bodies or-"

James suddenly cocked his head to the side and glanced at their hiding spot.

_"Shit!" _Chris cursed internally and yanked Ashley down. They watched through a crack in the stall as James frowned at their hiding spot and began to walk towards them. Ashley was staring to panic. Chris could hear her trying to hold back her rapid breathing. Hell, he could feel his own heart pounding in his chest as they stood as still as possible.

Just as James was about to look over into their stable, a call from the doorway stopped him.

"James! Where's the hay for the horses?"

Pausing, James looked up and hollered outside, "I'm getting it!"

The sound of retreating footsteps reached Chris's ears and he gave a quiet, shaky sigh. Peeking over the wall once more, he watched James walk back to the loft where he stopped and did a quick glance over his shoulder at the entrance like he was checking to see if anyone was watching. When the coast was clear, James took something off from around his neck and tucked it in his pocket before taking a few steps back. Then, he sprinted forward and jump straight into the air to grab onto ledge in a single bound.

Chris' jaw went slack and Ashley's eyes went wide as James hauled himself up and over the edge with a grunt. The loft must have been at least twelve feet high! Hearing the rustling of hay, they watched as four small bales were tossed off the edge onto the floorboards. James followed soon after and jumped off without hesitation to land in a loose crouch. He pulled what looked like a necklace from his pocket and placed it back around his neck. Grabbing the hay, he then walked while being completely unaware of the two flabbergasted teens staring after him.

_**XXXXX**_

_Sam & Josh_

"Haven't been in here for a while." Josh commented as he plopped himself down in Sam's living room.

"You could definitely say that." Sam agreed hesitantly as she sat in the chair across from him. Her grandparents were out of the house for the moment, so it was a good a place as any to talk in private with Josh. She would also be having a talk with Chris later. Why had she bothered telling him anything in the first place? That boy couldn't keep a secret to save his life!

"Remember when we had the Christmas party here? That was nuts. Hey, is the tinsel still stuck to the ceiling?" Josh talked on.

Sam cut to the chase, "Josh? We need to talk, remember?"

Josh's relaxed expression quickly morphed back into an angry concern, "So, you really have a criminal here, or something?" He probed.

"First off, he's not a criminal." Sam told him, "Like I said; this is one big misunderstanding-"

"How is Chris calling me to tell me you were in trouble a misunderstanding?"

Sam's narrowed her eyes as anger hissed in her gut again. "Will you let me talk?" She demanded.

"I am!"

"No, you're not!"

"Why are you so upset?"

**Because you just show up after god knows how long and expect me to talk about something you know nothing about! Because no one should have told you! Because I'm fine but you're killing yourself!**

"Because you're making assumptions!"

Josh leaned back in his chair with his eyes never leaving hers, "Sam, just tell me what's going on."

"I'm trying!"

"Then talk!"

"I am!"

"Oh, really? It sounds like you're just yelling!"

Sam balked at him, "What do you want from me, Josh?" She asked, bewildered by his behavior.

"I just want to know what's going on!" He defended.

"You don't need to know anything! I'm fine, the farm's fine, everyone is fine! There's no 'criminal' or whatever the hell Chris said!" Her hands balled into fists when she rose to her feet, saying, "The only one who _isn't _fine here is _you_!"

Josh's eyes narrowed.

"Sam-" He began.

"No!" Sam stopped him short, "No, you don't get to come down here and interrogate me about shit that isn't even your business after you haven't talked to me in how long?"

Josh scowled at her, "I'm fine." He grounded out.

"You're _fine?!" _She asked incredulously, "Have you seen yourself? You look like hell, Josh!"

Josh stood up, too, "I'm fine!" He reiterated.

"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" Sam yelled at him. For a moment, the two friends stared at each other, anger written across their faces and breathing heavily from frustration and hurt. Then from the doorway, came a voice.

"Sam?"

They turned to see James standing there, eyes darting between the two of them, "George wanted me to tell you to put in an order for more fencing. We're running low on material. I can come back later if you want?"

Sam let out a sigh and turned away from Josh. "It's fine, James." She told him. She walked towards the living room table and picked up one of the many papers strewn across it.

"Okay..." James took a hesitant step inside, eyeing Josh warily. The other man turned away from him and stared at the wall.

"What did George say you needed?" Sam asked when he approached. James listed off the materials and Sam wrote them down. "I'll put in an order for them. Thanks James."

Josh suddenly said, "I'm gonna go." And began walking towards the door.

"Oh no, we are not done here!" Sam snapped at him.

Josh spun around and glared at her, "Yeah? Well, I am!"

"Should I go?" James asked tentatively.

Sam didn't respond. Her focus was still on Josh, "Get back here!" She demanded.

Josh ignored her and kept walking. He was a foot away from the door when it suddenly bust open and in stumbled Chris and Ashley.

"Sam, we need to talk to-_Josh?!" _Chris exclaimed upon entering.

Josh blinked, _"Cochise?"_

_"Chris? Ashley?" _Sam balked.

Then, Ashley saw James and pointed at him, "You!" She exclaimed.

"Me?" Asked a very confused James.

Sam's eyes narrowed into slits, "Chris!" She growled.

"Sam..." Chris whimpered.

"I'm gonna go." James said and began to edge away, but then Chris saw him and started a whole new chain of conversation. He grabbed Josh's arm and pointed to James, saying, "Josh, that's him! That's the guy I told you about!"

Josh spun to look at James with wide eyes that quickly turned angry, "What!?" He demanded. Josh took a step towards him, "Who are you?" He asked angrily.

James' eyes widened and he looked at Sam in shock and betrayal. The Animal growled in the depths of his mind. Panic, anger, and adrenaline flooded his body and it took everything to keep his eyes from turning orange. Three bodies between him and the front door. All the windows were shut and the back door was ten feet away; he could definitely make a run for it. One of the things James learned being on the road by himself was how to get out of unwanted situations as quickly as possible. There'd been plenty of times in which someone, or multiple someone's, saw him as an easy target; ratty clothes, a disheveled appearance, even the fact that he was alone was the cause of altercations like a mugging at gunpoint or a gang of people jumping him.

Sam's hand snagged his arm when she saw his expression, "James, wait!" She pleaded.

"I said who are you!?" Josh demanded, shouldering around Sam. The blonde gave a cry of protest as Josh got into James face.

James heart pounded against his chest to the point he felt it beginning to ache. His eyes were wide from all these people congregating around him. His stomach heaved, followed by shortness of breath. Everything was shrinking in around him. For a moment he thought he was about to be sick. The creeping dread was replaced by anger. In the back of his mind, the Animal made it's presence known. Molten eyes blazed, sharp teeth gnashed, and it _howled. _His shoulders and muscles tensed, the veins on his arms and neck swelled, and his features contorted with rage. James' lips pulled back in a toothy snarl and a growl reverberated low in his throat. Sam jumped out of her skin at the sound, as did Josh, Chris, and Ashley. James took a threatening step towards Josh, prompting him to take a step back in return. Sam immediately got in between the two boys and shoved them apart.

"Josh!" Sam suddenly said, "Get out!"

"Wha-Sam?"

"I said get out!" Sam commanded, "Front porch! Now!"

Throwing his hands up with an expression of disbelief, Josh complied.

Sam whirled on Chris and Ashley, "Same goes for you two!"

Ashley quickly shuffled out past Chris who awkwardly trailed out behind her.

Once the three were outside, Sam looked over at James who stood rooted in his spot. His eyes snapped to hers, angry and wild, but then his shoulders sagged and he let out a long, shaky breath. He shut his eyes tight and grimaced, like he was counting to ten in his head. After what felt like a whole minute, he opened his eyes, which looked strangely exhausted.

"You should go out there and talk to them." James said and turned away from her.

"James..."

He sat down heavily in one of the armchairs and ran a hand over his face, "Just go. I'll be here." He said. He wasn't even looking at her. Instead, he stared at the floor with a look that seemed tired in a way that had nothing to do with the body.

Sam stood there debating whether to stay and talk to him or go out and talk to the three on her porch. After a moment she sighed and turned to walk away. Stopping, she looked back at James as he stood up and walked over to a window and stared out it. He still had that lost look on his face that made her heart go out to him. Sighing internally, Sam turned and walked towards the front door. When she saw Josh leaning against the railing outside like nothing had just happened, anger overtook her. Clenching her hands into fists, she stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind her.

Chris jumped at the sound, "Christ, Sam!" He exclaimed.

Sam whirled on the bespectacled blonde and on the beanie-wearing redhead hiding behind him.

"So, Chris," Sam started, crossing her arms, "Mind telling me how these two know about that..." Her teeth ground together as she spat out the word, "_'Criminal' _I've been harboring?"

"Sam, look, I was worried about you, and-"

"Worried?! If that's the case, why did you tell Josh when I told you not to tell anyone!?"

"Ok, Sam? Chill! All of us; me, Ashley, and Josh are worried for you!"

"Worried about what?!"

"First off, the guy isn't even here legally-"

"That doesn't make him a criminal, Chris! It's called a runaway!"

"Uh, yes it does, Sam! And In case you haven't been keeping up to date on the news like _I've _been doing_, _you'd know he's involved in _murder,_ Sam_!_"

"No he's not! I've been working with him for two months and I can assure you he has not killed _anyone!_"

"Two months?" Chris exclaimed, "He's been here that long?!"

"Yes, he has!" Sam said without skipping a beat, "He needs help! Not a jail cell like you seem so eager to throw him in! And by the way, who's bright idea was it to tell Josh about all this?"

"Chris." Josh immediately answered.

"Dude!" Chris yelled, incredulous at having been ratted out so quickly without hesitation to boot. "What the fuck, man?"

Josh lifted his hands, merely wanting to be out of the spotlight. The spotlight being the wrath of Samantha Giddings.

"Oh, _really?" _Sam said, a dangerous smile on her face. She slowly turned to Chris, "Is that so?"

Chris gulped. Suddenly, he broke out in a dead sprint for his truck.

"Oh _hell _no." Sam growled under her breath. Then, she vaulted off the porch and bounded after the fleeing Chris.

Upon reaching his truck, Chris dove straight into the open passenger window of his truck without even opening the door, Sam hot on his heels. Kicking his feet wildly as he got upright, he dug around in his pocket, frantically trying to get his keys. Just as he pulled them out, a hand reached into the truck and snatched them out of his fumbling hands.

"Hey!" Chris yelped as Sam stepped back from and chucked the keys straight into a nearby bush.

"What the hell, Sam!"

Sam narrowed her eyes dangerously at the teen sprawled out within the vehicle.

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet, _Cochise!" _

_**XXXXX**_

_Josh_

Josh took this as his cue to get the hell out of dodge. Shuffling to the front door, he slipped inside just as Sam's voice began to climb in volume.

"Pacifist my ass." He thought to himself.

Upon entering the house again, Josh was met by James as the boy rounded the corner with concern apparent on his face from hearing Sam yelling and frowned deeper when he saw Josh. A frown of his own tugged at Josh's lips. Then, he sighed and said, "She's fine, man. Just bitching at Chris." He walked around James and went into the kitchen. "In all honesty, I think she should be yelling at Ashley, too." He said as he walked to the refrigerator, chuckling briefly, "Gotta love a good cat fight, am I right?" He looked over his shoulder for James' response but received the young man's back. James was staring out the front door, watching as Sam and Chris argue.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Josh asked.

No response.

Rolling his eyes, Josh opened the fridge and scanned the shelves. He smiled in approval when he saw the second shelf lined with beer cans. Taking one from the fridge, Josh went to shut it, but paused seeing James still by the front door staring out the window at Sam and Chris. Ashley trailed up them, wringing her hands, and looked to be trying to defuse the situation.

_"He needs help. Not a jail cell!" _Sam's words played in the back of Josh's mind. Looking down at his beer, Josh sighed. He took another one out of the fridge and walked up beside James. The teen glanced at him and Josh offered him the can in his left hand. James looked down at the beverage with a suspicious frown tugging his lips.

"What? You look like you've never seen a beer before." Josh said jokingly. He chuckled and sat both cans down on nearby stood. Then, he popped both cans at the same time. He waterfalled half of one and offered it to James, who watched him with an odd look. When he finished, Josh wiped his mouth and said with a grin, "There! Now you don't have to drink as much, ya light weight."

James reached out and took the can just to shut Josh up, but when he took a sip, he grimaced.

Josh chuckled at his expression, "You get used to the taste."

"I don't drink." James grunted.

"And I can drink anyone under the table any day! We're practically yin and yang, man." Josh crowed, taking another swig.

"What?" James deadpanned.

"Not much of a people person, either, are you?"

James replied with a shrug.

"Must be kinda lonely, roughing it by yourself." Josh quipped, "It helps when you have friends to count on."

"This coming from the guy who apparently doesn't talk to his friends?"

Josh lowered his drink and stared at it for a quiet moment. Ignoring James' stab at him, he asked, "So, what's a guy like you doing on my friend's farm?"

James set his own beer down. After a moment, he let out a sigh and said, "I…ran because my uncle died. He was killed by a bear."

Josh frowned, "That makes no sense." He said bluntly.

James sighed, closing his eyes, "A month before, that the same…_bear _killed all of my friends." James paused to stare down at the floor with a distant look. "Uncle Bert was all I had left…the only family I had. My parents died when I was little. When I lost him…I didn't know what to do. I was alone." James stared off into the distance with his eyes clouded with anguish, "I panicked. By the time I realized what I'd done, it was too late to turn back so I just kept going." James looked at Josh and shrugged, saying "I don't expect you to understand. I know I'm not making sense, but I am not going to hurt Sam."

Josh's eyes widened and he stared at him in dead silence. "Yikes." Josh whispered, setting down his can with a hollow clank. Noticing it was empty, Josh spoke quickly, "One second." He hurriedly made his way back into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he grabbed two more beers and returned to James' side.

Hesitantly, James took the can he offered, and Josh smiled and saluted him before cracking his open. "Sounds like you've been through some shit, man. Good to know you don't want to hurt Sam, though." Josh said, setting his beverage down. James didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Josh understood what he was going through, more than James might realize. Opening his mouth, Josh attempted to speak, prompting James to look at him. Already, the memories were becoming to much for him.

Finally, after taking a deep breath, Josh began.

"I lost my sisters Hannah and Beth. I was the oldest, Hannah was the youngest. We all went up to my parents lodge. It was a yearly thing we did; go up to the lodge and stay a week or two during winter break." Josh shuddered and tightened his grip around his can. He was glad James didn't speak; glad for the silence. The words just kept tumbling out of him and he couldn't stop talking. Maybe it had something to do with mixing his meds with alcohol. Wouldn't be the first time. Or maybe it was the way James sounded when he spoke. He sounded lost and alone in a way Josh could empathize with all too well.

He told James about the night he lost them. He told them about how he'd been passed out and how the rest of the group played that cruel 'prank' on his baby sister and how she ran off into the night with Beth on her tail. When he woke up, he never saw them again...

"It was all my fault!" Josh snarled, "If Chris hadn't pull me into that stupid drinking contest...you know what we bet on? Who could pass out first! Great timing, Cochise!" He choked off and tried to take another sip, only to find it was empty. He scowled and crumpled it in his fist. Another was pushed his way. He looked up into James' sad, but more importantly, understanding eyes.

"I blame myself, too." James grunted quietly as Josh took the can without a word, "I was asleep, too, when that..._thing _got into the house." James swallowed and glared off into space, "When I woke up, the house was fucking destroyed and there blood _everywhere_..." James cut off and hung his head in sorrow.

"You slept through that?" Josh asked incredulously.

James chuckled bitterly, "Yep." He spat "After...after my friends, I had nightmares. Had to take sleeping and pain pills. They knocked me really quick." It was the truth as much as it was a lie, but James told it anyway.

The sleeping pills Josh could understand but, "Pain pills?" He asked.

James looked at him with eyes haunted and hollow. It was a look Josh knew all too well. Without a word, James reached up and tugged down his collar to reveal the mess of scar-tissue dotting his shoulder.

Josh's eyes bulged and he looked at James with shock before slowly frowning in empathy. He said, "Even though they tell you it wasn't your fault, it still feels like it. Like you could have done more, right?"

James said nothing, but he didn't need to.

Josh knew he understood.

He chuckled bitterly before wiping his eyes on his sleeve and taking a swig of the beer James gave him. "So, tell me." He started after swallowing his mouthful of liquor, "How'd ya meet Sammy?"

James paused at the sudden change in subject and stared at his drink in thought. Remembering two months worth of stupid nicknames and bad puns brought forth an amused smile. "I met her at a store I used to work at. Her grandfather forgot his feed and I ran it out to him. She was with him that day. A couple days later, she stopped by the store and wound up talking about a job opening here."

_**XXXXX**_

_Sam_

She was leaning against the wall just out of sight of the front door, listening in on James and Josh's conversation. A conversation which so happened to be about her. It was safe to say she wasn't eavesdropping. She'd originally heard Josh talking about his sisters, and was about to go inside, but then James starting talking and Josh calmed down. That in itself was amazing. Josh rarely opened up or talked about his sisters to anyone outside of her and his therapist. Okay, maybe she was eavesdropping! Honestly, she expected James to have been gone when she returned, but here he was.

Sam paused as James spoke up again and peered through the window at a mirror hanging in the back to see Josh's and James' reflections in it.

"Sam is a damn good person; one of the best people I've ever met so far."

Her cheeks instantly warmed.

"Yep, Sammy is quite the package." Josh grinned teasingly, "It's the yoga pants that got you, wasn't it?"

Sam frowned, as did James.

"Huh?" James blurted.

"You know..." Josh chuckled, drawing an outline in the air.

Sam's mouth fell open slightly. _Josh you perv!_

As expected, James frowned deeper, "No, I'm not talking about her butt." He said, utterly serious.

_'Thank you, James!' _At least one guy she knew had class!

Ignoring Josh's drunken perverseness, James went on, "She gave me a roof over my head and clothes on my back even when she knew I was here on...questionable terms. I can't repay her for what she's done for me." He said solemnly, looking down at the floor.

Sam's eyes softened. She'd never heard such words from him. It truly touched her that he thought that way...

Josh nodded sagely and opened his mouth, "So, you're more of a boob guy, then."

_'Oooookay, that's enough!'_

Sam snatched the door open and put on a look of false surprise at the two standing across from each other. She asked, "You guys okay?"

Josh started at her sudden arrival and but stumbled on his feet. James' arm shot out to steady him. "Sammy!" He said boisterously and moved in for a hug.

Sam held him at bay and searched his eyes, "You're drunk." She stated.

Josh shrugged, "Maybe." He said.

Sam sighed "Well, Chris and Ashley are headed home. Looks like I'm gonna have to drive you home. Do not argue!" She snapped when Josh opened his mouth to protest. She faltered when she turned to James with a question in her eyes and anxiousness worrying her lip.

The boy in question gave her nod, "We'll talk later." He said.

Sam smiled and turned to Josh, "Okay, where are your keys-"

As the two made for the door, Josh called out, "James! We will continue drowning our sorrows at a later date!"

Sam rolled her eyes as she watched him go before she turned back to James. She frowned and licked her lips, "James..." She started, "I'm sorry." James opened his mouth, but Sam continued over him, "I told Chris about you before I really knew you. That's why he knew about you. I asked him not to tell anybody, but I guess he didn't listen. I made them promise not to talk about you before they left."

James's eyes narrowed, "They didn't seem exactly trustworthy." He grunted.

Sam winced, "James, I-"

"We'll talk about it later." James dismissed softly, "You better get your friend home."

Sam ducked her head and headed out the door to catch up with Josh. James stood rooted to the spot, lost in thought. Today had been a reality check for him. He'd gotten too comfortable and complacent here on the Giddings farm. He'd never stayed in one location for so long before.

Maybe...maybe it was time for him to leave.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Grief _

_Sam & James_

Thunder groaned overhead as heavy rain beat down on the car. James, dressed in a dark suit and wearing a grim expression, maintained a safe speed while going down the wet highway. Driving in the rain always filled him with a sense of unease. He could never forget that his parents died driving through the rain at night. Today, however, he forced himself to do it. Occasionally, he would glance over at Sam in the passenger seat. The blonde wore a black dress and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She stared out the windshield with red rimmed eyes, sniffling occasionally as they went down the road. Upon coming up to the gravel driveway leading to Sam's farm, the young woman whimpered at the sign posted at the entryway.

_The Giddings Farm_

James pressed his lips together in a tight line upon seeing the sign as well. He had seen it so many times, since the day he began working here, but now, the sight made his heart ache. Just a week ago, both George and Mary Giddings, Sam's grandparents, passed away; George from a heart attack in the hay field and Mary, three days later, from grief.

James had been there when George collapsed, clasping his chest as he gasped and fought to breathe. While James attempted to help him, one of the workers called for an ambulance. By that point, someone had gotten Sam and she came running through the field in a wide eyed panic. She slid up beside James as he lifted the old man in his arms upon seeing the approaching ambulance peel down the gravel drive. He hoofed it up to the ambulance as two paramedics opened the back doors and helped lift the pale, motionless man onto a stretcher, strapped him in, and applied an oxygen mask. Sam found her way into the back of the ambulance calling her grandfather's name and holding his arm as the paramedics worked around her. It wasn't until they reached the hospital, that James found out George had died by the time they arrived at the hospital.

James parked the car and turned it off. He pulled the keys out and handed them to Sam. The blonde slowly reached over to take them and her arm fell limply into her lap. She continued to stare out the window at the rain beating down on the car. James bit his lip, as he stared at her. He knew full well what it felt like to lose someone. One might think he was used to death after everything he'd seen, but no one could truly get used to losing loved ones no matter who they were.

Getting out of the car, James stepped into the rain, paying no mind to his borrowed suit becoming drenched and walked around the passenger side to let Sam out, but she opened the door on her own. James paused as Sam got out, shut her door, shuffled to the porch, and went inside. James sighed and followed her into the house. He wiped the mud off his shoes on the mat and hung his jacket on the rack by the door. Peeling out of his equally wet dress shirt, he hung it beside his coat. Now, standing in nothing but his dress pants, button-up shirt, and black socks, he looked towards Sam sitting on the couch in the living room, staring into the lit fireplace. James' gaze softened. He sighed and walked over to take a seat in the middle of the couch a cushion away from Sam, who continued to stare into the fire with a deep frown and a hazy look in her eyes.

James swallowed hard and looked into the fire. He didn't know what to say. What could he say? No words could describe what she was going through, James knew that much. He licked his dry lips and tried to gain an idea of where to begin. After about a minute of fumbling about with several possible ways to talk, James finally sighed and spoke.

"Sam…I'm sorry." He glanced over at her as she brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them. She gave no response. Perhaps it was best to leave her alone. He moved to get up, but her hand grabbed his arm.

"Don't go." Sam whispered. Her grip gently tightened, "Please?"

Nodding, he sat back down. Sniffling, Sam lifted her head up. Red-rimmed eyes reflected the firelight a trail of tears traced her cheeks, "I just-," Sam choked, her face twisting in grief, "I can't believe they're gone!" Then her face twisted in anger "My parents didn't even bother to show up for the funeral! Can you believe that?!" Sam cried out in frustration. She sniffled again with more tears rolling down her cheeks, "Its like they don't even care! Like they didn't care about their own parents! They were the people who actually raised _me _better than they ever could! They were actually _there _for me, unlike _them. _They just dumped me here so they could go run around the world. Yeah sure, they'll send money here to keep the farm going, but that doesn't mean they actually care!"

"Sam," James began, "They're your parents; of course they care."

"They sure have a funny way of showing it." Sam spat. She let go of James and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. The two sat on the couch in the silence with only the fire crackling and shifting wood making noise. After a minute, James spoke again.

"I never knew my parents..."

Sam scrubbed her eyes to dry the tears away and looked at James. The young man was hunched forward and staring into the fire with a distant look in his eyes.

"They died when I was three. Car accident. They went for a drive and it was raining..." James trailed off, closing his eyes, "They took a corner too fast and spun off the road. I was in the back seat." He pressed on, leaning back on the couch. "I lost my friends to that…bear, on that camping trip. I was there when they all died, too. I saw them all die. I would have died too, but a ranger found me in time. I stayed in the hospital for a few weeks and recovered." James explained in a far off tone. He grimaced and stared down at his hands as they curled into fists, "People I cared about mauled to death and I come out scott-free."

It was a wonder he was talking to her at all. It was not easy to remember; wounds that had just begun to heal felt reopened the more he talked, but wasn't this what people were supposed to do? Share stories of grief when the other is hurting? Sam suddenly scooted over to him and rested her head on his shoulder. She reached out and grabbed James's hand and squeezed it. He squeezed Sam's hand in return. The girl angled her head to look at him. Swallowing hard, James continued, "A month after that, I lost the only person I had left. I didn't know what to do, so I ran. I wanted to run away from it all to forget it. Some days I'd wake up and roll over to get out of my bed, but I'd been sleeping in a car. Sometimes, it felt like a dream. Like any second I'd wake up and go downstairs to Uncle Bert cooking pancakes and smoking his pipe."

Sam smiled faintly, "A pipe?" She asked curiously.

James chuckled "Everyday before breakfast and twice after dinner. He had one of those Sherlock Holmes ones with his initials carved on it."

"Grandpa used to smoke cigars." Sam said fondly "Big fat ones. He'd always say they were Cuban to seem fancy, but he just bought them from the corner store. Grandma made him stop when I started living with them."

James chuckled, smiling, "Your grandpa was a good man. He gave me a job and a roof over my head. But most of all," He looked at Sam, "I wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet you. I still can't believe you're the only one whose recognized me so far. Either I'm a master of disguise or everyone else is blind."

"A woman's intuition is a powerful thing." Sam stated softly, lifting her head from James shoulder.

"Yeah." James sighed, rubbing the back of his head, "Look, Sam, I'm not good with words, but, the point I'm trying to make is..." James placed a rough hand on her shoulder and repeated the very words Uncle Bert used on him the day he returned home from the hospital, "I gotcha. I ain't letting you go through this alone. I promise I'll be here for you if you need me; if you want to talk, if you want to be left alone, if you want to just go somewhere, just let me know, alright?"

Sam gave him a watery smile and nodded in gratitude before pulling him into a hug. "Thank you, James." she said, sniffling a little.

James returned the hug after a pause with a small smile. He was glad he managed to help pull Sam out of grief, if only for a little bit. After waving her off to bed, James smile faded as his gaze traveled across the room, past the fire to the window where the half-moon rose in the darkened sky.

_"I just hope you will understand when I have to leave."_ He thought.

XXXX

_Sam_

Sam stopped in the middle of the stairway, looking back at James sitting in the living room before continuing upstairs. Entering her room and closing the door behind her, she peeled out of her dress and more than happily discarded it for warm, soft pajamas. As she crawled into bed and gazed out of the window at the half moon peaking into her room, her thoughts drifted back to the young man downstairs. Sam was thankful he was willing to help her. She was usually the one comforting people and it was nice being on the receiving end for once.

She gripped her pillow as she recalled what happened between them in the hay shed. At the time, the grief had been too much for James; she could see how it was slowly eating him alive, turning him into something he wasn't, and making him forget who he was. Josh had already fought that battle and lost. Guilt still ate at her over seeing him throw himself into such a depression over his sisters that no one seemed to be able to cure. She was elated that he was talking to her again, however. He'd swing by the ranch more often now and hang out with her and James. It made her happy seeing the two of them get along. She had never seen Josh be so open with someone other than her.

An unknown feeling welled inside her chest as she remembered James gentle voice, the promise he made to her, and the warmth of his hand. Sam wasn't a puppy love type of girl or completely inadequate when it came to the concept of liking someone. She'd had crushes and flings, but none of those lasted or developed into more. She'd even had a thing for Josh, but those feelings had been poisoned by his actions towards everyone who had been at the lodge that night, including her. He lashed out towards everyone, drank incessantly, and did things like overdosing on his medication. Josh didn't even bother showing up at the funeral today, or even bothered to call for the past week. He was either too drunk or hopped up on meds to have made it.

As the moon rose into the stormy sky, Sam finally fell asleep.

_XXX_

_She was freezing, snow covered the ground on all sides, and a full moon shone overhead like a spotlight that illuminated her chilly body. Sam tried to move, but she was stuck in place. _

_Suddenly, an icy hand gripped onto her am and tugged her towards pale, milky orbs and a fanged mouth open in a rattling screech. She screamed as death descended upon her, but she was yanked away from her attacker at the very last second. __She spun to see her savior and was met with the glowing orange eyes of a monstrous wolf that was tugging her away by the back of her shirt. _

_The first creature, __a tall, spindly shadow with pale, lifeless eyes that towered over her, __lunged and grabbed her by the arm with long claws and screamed at the wolf, which snarled and tried to yank her out of the other's grip._

_The snowflakes turned into bright blue butterflies that spiraled around them as the two creatures tried to pull her out of the other's grip. Images of people she knew flashed across their wings; Josh, Chris and Ashley, Mike and Jessica, Matt and Emily, and even her. All of them were dying in horrible ways._

_A scream from her right drew her attention to wolf. James was there, now, and screaming in agony. Chains of silver tethered him to a lupine shadow wrapped around his body. Both were howling at the moon as the chains tightened, and he let go of her shirt. The second Sam was released, the first monster grabbed her face and lifted her up to stare at her. Butterflies were pouring out of it's eyes, nose, and mouth as it reared back its arm and drove it's claws into her stomach._

She awoke with a shout. Her eyes were wide with fright and she was drenched in sweat. She gasped for air, breathing heavily as her mind raced back to the face of the pale monster and the shadowy wolf. A week had passed since the death of her grandparents, and that particular dream had been plaguing her for the past three nights.

"Sam?" Came James call. Her doorknob rattled then opened. James stepped into her room, concern written across his face, "I heard you scream. You okay?" he asked, walking up to the bed.

Sam managed to get her breathing under control. She blinked, staring at James for brief moment, in an apparent daze. Then nodded. "Yea. I'm-I'm fine." She stuttered.

James raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "You sure?"

"Yeah." Sam put on a fake smile as reassurance, "I'm okay."

Looking at her for a long moment, James nodded in acknowledgment and unease. "Well, I got some eggs and sausage waiting for you down stairs. I already ate so I'll get started on the chores while you eat." He said, getting up from the bed.

"Thank you, James." Sam said with a smile as she watched the young man leave the room before getting dressed herself.

Time to start the day.

XXX

_Four days later: Chris & Ashley_

Chris was staring down at his phone, sitting at a table inside a coffee shop with Ashley beside him. They'd been there for the last hour, waiting for the others to arrive.

"Do you think anyone is even going to show up?" Ashley asked.

Chris shrugged and said, "Everyone said they were coming."

"I just hope we're doing the right thing." She said nervously.

Chris leaned back in his booth and looked over at her. The redhead looked like she wanted to hide inside her beanie. "Well, what else are we supposed to do?" He asked, "Sam might have hired a psycho for all we know!"

"Well, this feels kind of sneaky going behind her back like this again! She was really mad."

Chris grimaced. The two of them had received a thorough tongue-lashing from miss Giddings about how ridiculous they were acting, and how Chris had broken her trust by roping Ashley and Josh into her personal business. The last time Chris had seen Sam that way was the first month after the be fair, he hadn't meant for things to get so out of hand. He also had felt really, really guilty afterward. Sam hadn't been returning any of his texts or calls, and the same was felt by Ashley. Yet, lo and behold here they were escalating things by dragging Emily, Mike, Jessica, and Matt into this whole thing with James Steele. Why? Because Sam could be stubborn as an ox and dug her feet in when pushed. Chris figured that a united front of people concerned for her well being would get her to question mister Steele's reasons for being here.

Chris happened to glance up and saw the Letterman-clad form of Matt Taylor walk in and hold the door open for Emily of all people.

Ashley frowned as they approached, "Since when do Matt and Emily roll around together?" She asked him under her breath.

"Beats me." he said before smiling at them, "Hey!"

"Sup, Chris!" Matt greeted with a grin and pulled up a seat. Emily looked them over and offered a weak, "Hi." Before sliding in next to Matt. For a moment, Matt reached out his arm to sling over Emily's shoulder, but the girl pushed the offending limb down just as quickly. Chris watched the exchange and blinked. He and Ashley locked eyes and they both had the same confused expression.

"What?" Emily snapped at them.

"Are you guys a thing?" Ashley questioned in surprise

"No." Emily said at the same time Matt said, "Yes."

Emily glared at Matt and he coughed into his fist, saying, "No we are not."

"Uhh..." Was all Chris managed.

"It's nothing." Emily said.

"What about Mike?" Ashley asked.

Emily's nostrils flared as she took a deep breath. After a moment, she said, "We broke up."

"Whoa!"

"Seriously?"

Chris and Ashley exclaimed. Emily glared at the both of them, saying, "Yeah. Seriously."

"When did this happen?" Chris demanded.

"Look, does it even matter at this point?" Emily sounded annoyed.

"Well, it's news to us." Ashley mumbled.

Emily scowled, "A couple months ago, if you have to know. I broke up with him, end of story. Can we drop it?"

Ashley shrugged helplessly, "Sorry!" She apologized.

"Whatever." Emily huffed and sat back in her seat with her arms crossed.

Matt, who had been silent up until now, leaned forward and said "So, why did you guys want to meet up-"

Suddenly, Emily blurted out in a distinctly bitter tone, "What the fuck is _she _doing here?"

All eyes darted turned to where Emily was glaring daggers and saw Jessica, who had come through the rear entrance, glaring right back. It felt like the temperature dropped 10 degrees just from them being in the same room. Jessica's eyes scanned over the assembled group and narrowed. She said, "If this is a joke, it is _not _funny."

"Um...hi, Jess?" Chris greeted awkwardly. Jessica glared at him.

"I can't believe you invited this bitch?" Emily spat.

"Oh, I'm a bitch?" Jessica laughed incredulously, "This coming from the archetype of female bitchiness?"

"Aw, have you been reading the dictionary to fill all that empty space in your head?" Emily crooned.

Jessica took a dangerous step forward.

Just as shit was about to get real, Chris got up and stood in between the two girls in the middle of the shop, "Guys, chill! Do you want to get us kicked out?"

He and Ashley were stunned as much as they were surprised. Last they remembered, Emily and Jessica were _friends! _Things had been strained between everybody after the prank, but not like this! Then again, the two of them had talked to Jessica, Matt, or Emily in a very long time. Then, Michael Munroe walked in and things got worse.

His voice carried across the inside of the store, "Listen, Chris, the only reason I'm here in the first place is because-" He trailed off when he saw Jessica, Emily, Matt, and Ashley. Mike stood there in the doorway, staring around at all of them, especially Jessica and Emily.

"...what the fuck is going on?" He said, more to himself than the others, but they still heard him.

Chris decided that now that everyone was here, it was the best time to take center stage before things got even more out of hand, "Mike!" Chris said boisterously and walked over to Mike and grabbed him by the sleeve of his coat, "Good to see you, good to see you! Come sit down! _Sit!" _He practically forced the flabbergasted Mike into a seat and turned to survey everyone, "Everyone, thank you all for coming! I promise that everything will be explained shortly!"

"This better be fucking good, Chris." Emily growled while glaring between Mike and Jessica.

Chris ran a hand through his hair, "I don't even know where to start." He mumbled, but hearing Emily's irritated growl made him speak quicker, "Sam's harboring an illegal runaway on her farm!" He belted out.

Silence filled the table.

"Huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What!"

Chris winced as various people's confused exclamations filled the air. His friends had always been a loud bunch when they were all together. Nice to see that hadn't changed. "Can you guys keep it down-" He hissed while glancing around to see other customers giving the group odd looks.

"I think you need to start from the beginning, man." Mike said with an awkward chuckle.

"Right." Chris said and sat back down to explain, "Some dude named James. Tall, brown hair, big dude, weird too." Then, he leaned forward and whispered, "Involved in the murders of his friends and his uncle."

"WHAT!"

"Are you serious?"

"Can you guys _please_ not scream?!" Chris shouted back. He quickly turned and shot a nervous smile at the cashier, who raised an eyebrow in response. "Look," Chris whispered, turning back to the group, "I wouldn't have gotten us together if this wasn't serious, but Sam's convinced that this guy's cool when he's _not_."

"What about, Josh?" Matt asked suddenly, "Does he know? Is he coming?"

"He was there when I met the guy. At first I thought they were gonna fight, but at the end of the day, Josh was acting like they've known each other forever." Chris muttered bitterly, "He wouldn't even tell me about what they talked about. Hell, he even goes to Sam's place and hangs out with them now!" He sighed sharply and said, "He doesn't see a problem with the guy, either."

Emily narrowed her eyes, "That doesn't explain why you called us here, Chris."

"Because Sam might be in danger?" Chris said it like it was obvious,

"And? She brought him on _her_ farm. That's her deal, not ours."

"Let me show you what I mean." Chris pulled out his phone and sent a single message. A minute later, everyone's phone went off as they received his text, "I just sent you the link to the article he's mentioned in. Read it."

Everyone except Chris and Ashley pulled out their phones and read with various expressions.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Matt exclaimed as he read, "I think I heard about this a while back! They all got eaten by a bear."

"Reports say they did. But if that's the case, why is he here?" Chris fired back.

Matt frowned in apparent confusion but his eyes became wide when understanding began to dawn. He said, "Good point. I mean, why run in the first place unless you did something wrong?"

"Exactly!" Chris crowed, "Does that not seem off to you guys, too?"

"I don't know." Jessica sighed, "It seems like her problem, not ours."

Chris turned to the girl, "Jess, this is Sam we're talking about! Okay, she has a really bad habit of biting off more than she can chew..."

"Again, her own problem." Jessica quipped.

"But-" Chris leveled a glare at her, "We're her friends. We need to help her."

Mike scoffed, "We're her friends? Dude, ever since...ever since Hannah and Beth," Mike fumbled over the twin's names, "She doesn't talk to any of us. Same with Josh."

"Same for all of us, really..."

Everyone turned to look at Ashley. She was staring into the table's wood-grain with a pensive frown on her face. After a moment, she looked back up at them and said, "Guys...this is, like, the first time we've all been in the same place together in what? Half a year?" She made a frustrated noise of distress "What happened to us?"

"Hannah and Beth?" Mike commented offhandedly, but his eyes were dark and his body tense. Jessica gripped his hand under the table.

"Still..." Ashley whimpered. Her arms wrapped around herself and she leaned back in her seat, "I wish we'd actually try to fix things..."

Matt spoke up. "We used to do everything together." He said. His eyes were downcast and lips pursed in thought.

"Matt-"

"Emily, don't! I know what you're going to say." Matt cut her off with a hand raised in defense, "Just...hear me out, okay?"

"What is there to hear out?" Emily snapped at him with a confused wave of her hand, "What? You have some magic words that are gonna fix everything that's happened to us? A little speech about 'love' and 'friendship' and we'll all be buddies again? No." Emily sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "We're all here because of a stupid, random reason and we'll probably never talk to each other again afterward." She shook her head sadly, "People just don't become friends again."

Jessica's face twisted bitterly, "Oh, you're one to talk. Not that you ever tried, anyway."

Emily looked back up at Jessica with her eyes blazing with venom and fury, but she faltered when she saw the unshed tears in the blonde's eyes.

"You act like I wanted this to happen, Emily! To us! You think...you think I _wanted _us to become stereotypical bitches hating each other? We were _friends_, Emily!" Jessica exclaimed.

Emily was frozen in her seat.

Jessica swiped at her eyes, "So, yeah, just so you know. Just like I didn't want to lose Hannah and Beth!"

Abruptly, Jessica stood up from her seat and stormed out of the coffee shop without another word. Mike stared after her for a minute before getting up and walking after her. A very awkward silence followed their walkout and left a heavy weight over the remaining four.

"That did not go as planned." Chris muttered.

"Oh, you don't say?" Emily growled and stood up, "Come on, Matt. Let's go."

"Emily-"

Emily stood up and walked right out of the shop without looking back. Matt lingered behind for a second, staring at Chris and Ashley, searching for something to say. After a moment, he just sighed and shook his head, offered a goodbye, and walked after Emily.

"That sucked." Ashley deadpanned a minute later

Chris let out a frustrated breath "Yeah." He said softly, "Yeah, it did."

_XXX_

_James_

James peeled back the low-hanging branch to reveal a rusted chain-link fence, and beyond that lay a beautiful sight.

It looked like what was once an old storage-yard. Rows of rusty metal containers with flaking paint lined his vision with the concrete overrun with weeds, ivy, and bushes growing between the cracks.

"Jackpot!" He muttered. He straightened and scaled the fence, hopping over the remnants of barbed wire, and landed on his feet to survey his new surroundings. The sheds themselves varied in design. Most of them were simple metal boxes with gates that slid open. However, there were a few towards the back that caught his attention. They were longer and thicker containers than the others with swing-out doors and heavy locks. Those were worth investigating. Schematics for a Cage began forming in his head. The location was decent enough. It was away from any neighborhoods or houses, he'd checked, and the gate was shut with the entrance overgrown with vegetation. His only issue was that the highway wasn't that far off because he could hear cars in the distance. The last thing he wanted was that if he escaped during the full moon, he'd run right into the road. He couldn't see any signs of many people coming and going through here; no vandalism or homeless people seemed to be around. Hopefully it remained that way. It wouldn't have been the first time someone came poking around where he set up shop. They usually left him alone and the ones who didn't were scared off by either him or the Animal. No one had ever been killed, thank god. He'd like to keep it that way.

After he triple-checked the complex and found it acceptable, James made his way to the larger units and chose the one that was in the best shape before he wrenched it open and peered inside. The musty scent of age and mold make him cringe and take a step back. God, he hated his nose, sometimes! After he took a minute to adjust to the smell, he stepped inside and slung the backpack from around his shoulders and set it down to pull a small tarp a spread it out. Then he upended his pack and emptied his stash of silver onto the tarp.

Jewelry and eating utensils made up the majority of it with the biggest being an ornate plate. It would have to do until he got more. With that done, James stood up and began to inspect inside for the best spots to place the silver. One of the tricks he'd learned was, if he had an enclosed space, to strategically place silver objects where the Wolf would move to keep it boxed in. He did this with either super glue, or by dangling it from the ceiling, depending on the location. Although, this one was ideal; probably one of the best potential Cages he'd come across so far.

James bundled it all up in a towel to keep it dry, wrapped it up in the tarp, and tucked it in the corner for later. He'd be back with some more material; chains and scrap metal to piece together in an attempt to make bars or spikes to ward off the Animal. Hopefully, he'd be able to swipe some power tools to use. That would be a blessing.

His work done, James shouldered his empty backpack and shut the storage doors behind him and started to head back the way he came to the farm.

_XXX_

_Emily & Matt_

Thunder boomed as Matt and Emily drove down the highway. Matt's eyes tried to stay on the road but occasionally drifted over to Emily as she went on, and on, and on. The young woman was laid back in the passenger seat with her arms crossed and her head tilted away from him to gaze out the window.

"I just can't believe Chris! I mean, seriously, what was he thinking? Getting all of us in one place because of some bullshit? Are you serious? Ugh! He probably made the whole thing up because he was trying to impress Ashley, and that's another thing!"

Mike's finger's tightened around the steering wheel as he drove, "Em-"

"If he doesn't have the balls to make a move, does he really think getting us together would boost the chances of getting into her pants?"

"Emily-"

"And _don't _get me started on Jessica! She doesn't know what she's talking about! I tried to be the bigger person! I tried to get her to talk to me! She's probably happy me and Mike broke up! Probably wants him all to herself!"

"I can't drive when you're like this!"

Emily let out a huffing breath and returned to stare out the window as the rain began to fall. Returning his gaze to the road, Matt licked his dry lips. After a minute, he said, "Em? I think we should at least check on Sam."

A bitter chuckle was his reply. Emily looked away from the window to stare at him coldly "Look, Matt, I don't care what's going on. And even if something _is _going on with Sam, she probably brought it on herself like she always does. It's not our business to swoop in and save the day!"

"So, is what happened to Hannah and Beth their fault, then?" Matt seethed through clenched teeth.

Emily tensed before getting pissed, "It's not my fault it happened!"

"Oh really?" Matt spat, eyes blazing, "I don't remember you stopping Jessica from going through with it!"

"You were part of the prank, too, Matt!"

Just as the argument was about to get even more heated, a deer leaped into the road directly in front of Matt's truck. Matt cursed and swerved to avoid the deer which immediately bounded into the woods. Emily screamed as the truck came off the road onto the dirt. The tires beneath over the rough terrain until finally they braked to a harsh stop and their heads jerked forward from the initial forced halt.

After taking a moment to collect themselves, Emily took a deep breath.

"Jesus Christ, Matt! Ever heard of keeping your fucking eyes on the road?" she shrieked.

The jock winced against her sudden outburst, "Alright, alright just chill!"

"No! I will not chill!" Emily yelled, "Just take me home!"

Sighing in defeat, Matt put the truck in reverse and pushed the pedal to give it gas. He heard the revving of the engine and felt the tires moving beneath him. However, they weren't going anywhere.

"Why aren't we moving?" Emily snapped.

"I think we're stuck." Matt mumbled giving the truck some more gas but not moving an inch.

"Great! Just fucking great!" Emily exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, "Now we're stuck here in the middle of the fucking road with a storm coming!"

Matt sighed. He wasn't going to to argue with Emily about this. "Just, get in the driver's seat while I push." He requested and got out.

Emily groaned in annoyance and unbuckled her seat belt to get into the driver seat. Her heated glare followed the young man as he walked around the front of the vehicle. Matt cursed when he saw that the entire front half of the truck was dipped into a steep divot in the ground. Placing his hands on the front of the truck, he glanced up at Emily and nodded. Emily pressed the gas. Matt gritted his teeth and pushed as hard as he could, but the truck refused to budge. Dirt peeled beneath the tires as they spun to gain traction, but after a few minutes of exerting himself and cursing, Matt realized it wasn't working.

Panting heavily, Matt looked at Emily and shook his head. "Kill it!" He called. The engine died and out stepped Emily.

"I'm gonna have to call someone to come pull us out." Matt said. He grabbed his cell and dialed the number to give directions to their location.

Emily gave a frustrated noise and stormed up to the road.

"Em, wait!" He said and jogged up to her as she stopped in the middle of the road.

"Just shut up, Matt!" The girl snarled as he came up to her, "We wouldn't be in this situation if-"

"Excuse me?"

Emily nearly jumped out of her skin as she and Matt whirled around to see a young man standing on the side of the road by their truck.

"Jesus!" Matt exclaimed.

The guy raised an eyebrow at the two startled teens, "Sorry." He grunted.

"Uh, hey, look man; can you help us?" Matt asked "We ran off the road. Deer." He offered in an explanation, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He took this moment to get a good look at the guy. He looked around their age, maybe; older and a bit taller than himself. He wore a dark zip-up hoodie with a black t-shirt underneath, dirty work jeans, and scuffed boots. His hair was long and messy, and his face held a dusting of stubble. His eyes were a flare of greyish green that narrowed as he frowned.

"Sure." the guy offered after a moment, "I can help you push."

"If it's not to much trouble." Matt smiled as he slipped his cell phone into his pockets, "We'd really appreciate it. I went on ahead and called for a tow in case this doesn't work."

The guy nodded before moving around the truck to help push. He slipped his hoodie off and handed it to Emily as she climbed into the drivers seat. "Mind holding this for me?" He asked. Emily raised her eyebrows at his bare arms and how his t-shirt hugged his frame. "Sure." She drawled as she took his jacket. Matt raised an eyebrow and followed her gaze to the young man's form. He frowned slightly as the guy positioned himself to push and Matt suddenly leaned back to slip out of his Letterman jacket. "Hey, babe, mind holding this for me?" Matt requested, making it obvious to the other guy Emily was taken just in case he was getting any ideas.

Emily rolled her eyes and took Matt's jacket before he got in position. Hearing Emily give the truck gas made Matt tightened his jaw and push. The truck actually gave way and moved a little. However, it was all for naught. The truck didn't move too far after that and slowly slid back into the ditch, their efforts all but wasted.

"Fuck!" Matt panted, slouching against the hood of the truck.

The driver door opened and Emily poked her head out. "You almost had it!" She told them.

"Yeah," Matt panted, "We did."

The guy stretched his arms and leaned against the hood, "We can try again?" He offered.

"Nah, we'll just wait for the tow." Matt said to him as they walked around to take their jackets from Emily, "Thanks for your help." With that said, Matt and Emily walked up onto the road to wait for the tow truck. Emily turned and waved lightly at the guy who simply nodded, still standing at the front of the truck. The two teens stopped just at the side of the road.

"So how long is this gonna take?" Emily asked.

"I called about five minutes ago, so another five, maybe?" Matt replied and looked down the road leading into town. Then, he leaned towards Emily and whispered, "Is it just me, or is it weird how he showed up out of nowhere?"

"Ugh, I thought we were about to be murdered or something." Emily scoffed lowly.

James looked up at them with a slowly rising eyebrow and a frown, having heard them loud and clear.

"And who goes out on a hike before a storm? Ugh, super weird. At least he tried to help us." Emily added, "I think he's still at the truck. You think he'll take anything?"

"Better not. Won't go well for him if he does." Matt grunted, a tight frown on his face.

Emily raised a curious brow and said with the sole purpose of riling up her boyfriend, "I dunno, Matt. Guy has some serious muscle on him."

Behind them, James made a face and rolled his eyes. Ugh, _teenagers_. He didn't need enhanced senses to practically smell the hormones.

Matt gave an audible _hmph _and continued to stare down the road. Emily smiled teasingly, amused by how worked up Matt could get over another guy. Allowing her gaze to briefly trail past him to the truck she frowned upon noticing James give them a long stare. She quickly looked the other way. After a second to let the guy think she wasn't looking, she gazed over towards him again. He was glancing around, obviously looking to see if anyone was coming their way, before reaching into his shirt to pull something from around his neck and moved towards the front of Matt's truck.

"Matt, Muscles is up to something."

Growling, Matt turned to walk back to his truck, but froze when Muscles suddenly took a deep breath and positioned himself at the front of the truck to push again. Metal groaned and creaked, and Matt and Emily gaped at the unbelievable sight. It was a good thing Emily had left it in neutral because their truck was moving. Muscles huffed and puffed as he pushed the truck back until the front tires were a safe distance from the small ditch and back onto the road.

"Wha-What the-!" Matt sputtered.

James looked at them, panting, and offered a small salute at their stunned expressions. Then, he turned and walked into the woods without another word.

The sound of approaching tires made Matt and Emily look up to see a tow truck pull over beside them. The passenger window rolled down to reveal a beefy, bearded man sitting in the drivers seat.

"You guys call for a tow?" The man called.

Matt fumbled with his words while looking to and fro from his now unstuck truck to where Muscles had disappeared into the treeline. After taking a minute to tell the man they no longer needed a tow, Emily sent him on his way while Matt backed the truck up.

"Well...that was crazy." Emily stated, sliding into the passenger seat.

Matt buckled his seat belt, looking up to gaze into the thick woods where the stranger had gone. "Yep." Matt said quietly. Pulling his gaze from the darkening woods, he put the truck in drive and got back on the road.

_XXX_

_Sam & James_

James stifled a long sigh as he pushed his bangs to the side to pick a stray strand of hay out of his hair. Grabbing the last bale, he tossed it from the bed and gave a thumbs up to Sam, who was driving the pickup. James sat in the bed as Sam drove it through the pasture back to the house. They had finished up the hay baleing, as well as storing it and feeding all the animals. Considering Sam had to lay off a majority of the workers recently, they had to pick up a lot of slack. Cleaning the pens, helping repair broken fences, and tending the pasture were just a few things they had to do. The reason for the mass lay-off was a decline in enough money to pay all the workers, granted it wasn't something Sam took pleasure in doing, especially since George and Mary weren't around anymore. George's former pawn-shop had closed down with his death, and Mary had run that old store while George helped around the farm to help bring in extra cash. Sam just couldn't afford to pay everyone with both of her grandparents dead. Some took it better than others. The remaining workers were those that had been here the longest and the most skilled. However, even with the few hands they had, James had to do a majority of the work. He didn't mind it because it helped him get through the day. Not like he had anything better to do. Besides, whenever he was able, he'd taken the opportunity to slip away and assemble the cage. Of course, he had to be a little more cautious with everything he was borrowing or taking from the farm to complete it, as well as apparently watching out for running into the local wildlife now.

He nearly made that couple total their truck because of a deer _he _had startled on his way back from the cage. He'd helped them out and tore-ass back to the farm just as quickly. Of course, his trips to the Cage had declined in recent days. Sam had caught on to his prolonged disappearances. She was too attentive for her own good, sometimes, and instead of demanding him stay on the farm like a normal person, she requested to tag along on his 'Nature Walks', her words, not his. It was better than the truth.

"_Oh, I'm building a cage out of pure silver to contain me when I turn into a monster during the full moon!" _

...Which was only one day away.

James frowned as the truck pulled up to the farmhouse. The time before a full moon always made him feel strange; mainly in his mind. Sometimes, the Animal's presence would randomly make itself known with an onslaught of raw, primal instincts. As the months went by, it had gotten increasingly difficult to push it away. Even with his necklace on, he could still feel it come and go at times before the full moon came. It was starting to worry him. At least the Cage was finally completed.

"Get in, Sunshine!" James perked at the sound of Sam's voice. Looking around the truck he saw her hand usher him around the side. Upon getting in, he was met with a noise maker one would receive at a birthday party. James jumped from the sudden noise as Sam said, "Happy Birthday!"

James stared at the blonde as she gave him a big smile. "Huh?" Was all that came out of his mouth.

"Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday, Sunshine?" Sam chuckled.

James stared at her in bemusement. "My birthday isn't for another week_."_ He said.

The blonde squinted at him, tossing her signature wry smirk. "You sure? Because last I checked, today is December tenth." She pointed at the clock on the trucks radio screen. James eyebrows raised. She was right, it was December tenth...his birthday...

James stared at her, "How did-?"

"I might have Facebook stalked you." She admitted bluntly.

James slowly began to chuckle in surprise, "Isn't that kind of cheating?" He asked, because only _Sam _would do something like this.

Sam smirked and reached into the back of the truck, "You better like them!" She said before she came back with a few pairs of neatly folded shirts, "There ya go! A few extra pairs since you apparently keep loosing them!"

James stared at the clothing before bursting out laughing delight. "Thank you." He said after a moment.

A comfortable silence between the two, until Sam asked, "So, what you want to do for your birthday?"

James snorted.

"I'm serious! I get that your...circumstances keep you from doing a lot, but I'm sure you can set some time aside to have fun."

"I don't really do _fun, _Sam."

"That is the most cliche bad-boy thing to say from the most cliche bad-boy I've ever met in my entire life."

"I'm not a bad-boy!"

Sam's rising eyebrow warned him of incoming sass as she started the truck. "Oh really? Mister grunts-a-lot? Mister on-the-run? Mister broods-while-taking-long-walks-alone-in-the-woods? What do you even do out there, anyway?"

"It clears my head." He automatically responded. And it did. The green, the fresh air, the relaxing scents of pine and birch, and the birds singing from the trees helped ease his mind.

"On the run from the law and all alone, only to be snatched up by a beautiful farmer's daughter who captures his hardened heart!" Sam cut her eyes at him slyly when she spoke. "Little did he know, she was really planning to fatten him up and eat him!" Sam continued animatedly, "Just like with all the other bad-boys who walked onto her land!"

The dry look James gave her in response could have caused a drought.

"You just come up with that?" He asked.

"Yessir!" Sam responded cheerfully "How was it?"

"Cliche." James deadpanned as they rolled to a stop outside of the house.

"Way to go full-circle!" Sam teased as she slipped out of the truck, "I'm so proud!"

James just rolled his eyes and followed after her.

"So, anything interesting happen on your 'walk'?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, actually." James admitted "I helped some people push their truck out of a ditch."

Sam turned her head to look at him, "Oh yeah?"

James rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah...I think it was my fault they ended up like that, though. I spooked a deer onto the road and it ran out in front of them."

Sam stared at him as they stopped in front of the door, "What am I gonna do with you?" She asked herself, shaking her head in disbelief.

James just grunted and held the door open for her.

"Ugh, it's great to be inside!" Sam groaned as she stretched "I'm gonna make some coffee. Want some?"

James stared at her, "It's four in the afternoon, Sam."

"And your point is?" Sam asked as she disappeared into the kitchen.

James just rolled his eyes and plopped down on the couch and grunted as he stretched his long limbs and popped his joints. A minute later, he heard the coffee maker gurgling and the heavy aroma tingled his nose.

"Do you want some or not?" Sam asked him again.

"No thank you!" He called back.

The blonde came back into the living room a minute later with a big, white mug cradled in her hands and sat down next to him on the couch. Sam took a sip and moaned in pleasure.

"Are you gonna drink _all _of that?" James asked, mildly disturbed.

"Mhm." Sam responded "I'm gonna need the extra energy. Tonight I've gotta go over paperwork for the farm. Hooray for taxes!" She cheered dully. After taking another sip, she cracked a wry grin and shot him a look, "Must be nice not having to pay taxes, being on the run an all."

James rolled his eyes, "Drink your coffee, Giddings." He grunted.

Sam sighed and did as such. After a minute of silence in which James stared into the fire, Sam finished her coffee and set the mug down in her lap to ask him a question. "What's it like? Being on the run, I mean?" At James' look, she winced and said, "If you don't mind me asking. I'll shut up now."

James's eyes softened and he sighed heavily. He leaned forward and stared into the fire again before he actually answered, "It's scary. It's really, really scary." He said softly. Sam looked at him, already regretting asking the question. "I could never stay in one place for too long. I always made sure to be always on the move. It was always afraid I was gonna get caught, but..." James trailed off, shrugging his shoulders "I never did. Lucky me, I guess. I stole food and water. Clothes if I needed them. Most of the time, I made sure to sleep out in the woods or somewhere away from people."

"Wow." Sam said. What else could she say?

"Yeah." James grunted "Honestly, I'm lucky to have gotten this far. When I first started, I had no idea what I was doing. All I had was a trash bag full of stuff and a destination in mi-" James cut himself off, eyes going wide.

Sam stared at him in worry, "James?"

"Hannah and Beth..." He whispered.

Sam blinked "Huh?"

"I heard about Hannah and Beth on the radio when I first left my house." James was staring at her "They were talking about the Washington twins up in Calgary; it's what gave me the idea to come here in the first place!"

Sam's jaw dropped and she stared back at him, "Are you serious?" She mumbled. James only nodded mutely. Sam turned and stared at the fire, shaking her head in disbelief. James copied her.

"And I'm just remembering this, too..." She heard him mutter.

Sam stared at him and licked her suddenly dry lips, "Maybe you were just...meant to be here." She said.

James slowly turned and look at her, "I...I guess so." Was all he said.

The two young adults turned their gazes back to the flames, each lost in thought at the revelation with their minds a-whirl. Then, James stood up.

"Come on." He told Sam.

Sam looked at him "What?"

"I said come on." He said "I want to show you something." And offered her a hand.

Sam took it. "Where are we going?" She asked when he pulled her to her feet and led her to the front door.

James glanced back at her "For a walk." He said simply.

XXX

James took Sam on a trek across the farm and into the thick woods on the far side of the property. Sam had lived most of her life on this land and grew up playing in these woods, but she never ventured this deep before. James took her off the old paths she'd usually take into parts of the forest she'd never seen. He seemed to have his own trail that he traversed without missing a beat, and only paused to help her around briar patches or over fallen trees. It soon became obvious that James was leading her somewhere. When she asked where they were going, he just responded with "You'll see."

By the time they reached their destination, the sky was orange with the setting sun and it was well past five o'clock.

"Here we are." James said, pushing a branch out of her way.

"Whoa!" Sam said softly as she walked up to the chain-link fence "I never knew this was back here!"

"I found this today." He told her as he stepped up beside her to look out over the empty storage lot.

"You know, I heard that there was an old storage facility around here somewhere. Never thought it would be in my backyard, though!"

"It's close to the road, too." James added, "The driveway is blocked off and the trees grew over the pathway."

"At least we got somewhere to hide if the cops come looking for us." Sam joked.

"That's the plan."

Sam looked at him in surprise.

James took a breath before he said, "If something happens and I need to hide, this is the first place I'll run to before I skip town."

Sam stared in shock, "Skip town?"

"Sam." James said seriously, "If something happens and I need to leave...I don't want you to get in trouble." Sam opened her mouth, but James spoke over her, "_If _something happens this is where I'll be. You can...you can come here to say goodbye."

For a moment, Sam said nothing but stared at him with an unreadable expression. Just when the silence began to feel uncomfortable for James, Sam moved forward and pulled him into a hug. James froze at the contact, but eventually slung an arm around her in response.

"Thank you." He heard her say into his jacket.

"For what?"

Sam pulled back and stared at him, "For trusting me." She told him.

James swallowed and stared back into her bright, spring green eyes that seemed to look right through him.

"We...we should head back." He said.

Sam mutely nodded and disentangled herself from him. The sky was a deep purple now. Dark blue clouds lazed across the sky and the light was fading. It would be dark by the time they got back to the farm.

They were halfway back to the farm when James stopped walking.

Sam had been walking next to him and turned to him, pausing when she saw his expression. James was frozen in place. His eyes were wide and staring off into the trees with a very intense expression. His head cocked to the side and he inhaled sharply through his nose.

"James?" She called.

His eyes never lost their focus, "Get behind me." He ordered lowly.

"James, what-"

That's when she heard it; the sound of leaves and brush crinkling under steady footfalls that were getting closer and closer from up ahead. James took two steps forward and placed himself in front of her with his features contorting into a toothy snarl. Just as Sam was about to ask what was happening, a large, brown shape melted from out of the trees and lumbered towards them on all fours. Every muscle in Sam's body stiffened and she grabbed James's arm in a vice.

The brown bear didn't seem to notice them as it padded closer with its snout to the ground. It stopped short about six yards away and lifted its head to stare at them with black eyes. It didn't look fully grown; most likely a young male out foraging. The bear seemed to be as frozen as they were

"James...James, let me get on your shoulders." Sam ordered, years of her grandfather's advice funneling through her brain.

James didn't respond.

Sam gripped his arm tighter, "James-"

The bear let out a low grunt and it shifted in place. Sam felt her body lock up again as it growled in agitation and took a single step forward-

James lurched forward and let out a sound that scared her more than the bear; a loud, guttural _snarl _that should _not _have come from a human throat. The bear flinched and turned to pad off into the brush before vanishing into the trees. Sam watched it disappeared from sight before letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. A harsh growling reached her ears and she realized it was coming from the boy she was still holding onto.

"J-James?"

The sound cut off and James spun to face her. Sam flinched at the sudden movement. When she looked back at James, he was breathing heavily and blinking rapidly. His eyes focused back on her and his expression quickly became one of concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked lowly.

Sam could only nod.

James glanced to where the bear had disappeared to before he reached out and placed a protective hand on her shoulder, "Let's get out of here." He said and ushered her forward. They moved at a considerably faster pace after that.

Sam was still shaken when they got back to the farm. James brought her inside and wouldn't leave until she finally got it through his head that she was okay. She sent him away with a promise that she'd look into bear repellents and that she'll see him in the morning before she went upstairs and got into the shower. Truth be told, it wasn't the bear that had scared her the most.

She shook off the crazy thoughts running around in her skull as she stepped out and got dried and dressed. But even as she sat down at her desk and prepared to get started on paperwork, she couldn't rid herself of what she'd seen...what she _had _to have imagined.

Because...it had to have been a trick of the light, but when James had turned to look at her, she could have _sworn _his eyes had been _orange_.

XXX

_Emily_

Emily Davis was many things; intelligent, resourceful, and persuasive chief among them. She was a girl who knew what she wanted and would find a way to get it if she could not. Ashley once said she was a total Slytherin, which she took as a compliment. Ambition and cunning were traits she valued. She also called the girl a total nerd immediately afterward.

What Emily Davis wasn't, on the other hand, was an insomniac. She didn't lie awake at night tossing and turning, she didn't let things like guilt and worry and remorse keep her up at night, and she certainly didn't dwell on the past and let memories and another's words keep her from her beauty sleep.

And she _certainly _did not do things like reminisce alone in her room, lying on her bed, and scrolling through her phone looking at pictures of a past and people long-since gone.

_**"You think I wanted this to happen to us?" **_Jessica's voice rang in her head.

Like she was doing right now.

Pictures she never hated to look at yet couldn't bring herself to delete passed her eyes with each swipe of her thumb.

Her and Jessica side by side, fifteen years old, smirking up at the camera. Her, Mike, and Jessica that one time they went to the amusement park before she'd lost weight. A selfie of her on Sam's farm with Hannah on a horse waving at the camera behind her. Another selfie of her on the couch with Beth, who was covering her face from the camera.

_**"We were best friends, Emily!"**_

There was a video on the next swipe.

Emily pressed play.

_Matt and Chris were hunched over a table with a house of cards built on top of it and were in the process of adding the final card._

_"Alright, go!" Came her voice as Chris gently began to lower the final card onto the top with Matt spotting him from the side._

_"Come on!" Beth yelled from the background._

_"Don't fuck up! Don't fuck up!" Came Mike's obnoxious yelling off-screen, "You're gonna fuck up!"_

_"Shut up!" Chris yelled back without taking his eyes from the stack._

_"You got this, bro!" Matt said encouragingly._

_Slowly, Chris placed the card atop the construction._

_"Oh!" Matt gasped as Chris pulled his hands away. When the house of cards did not fall, he screamed out ,"OHHH!" Which everyone copied. Chris jumped back and threw his hands in the air like he was praising the gods with Beth cheering and clapping behind them next to Sam. The video ended with Josh's blurry body dolphin-diving onto the table and demolishing the project in a fit of celebration._

That had been their little group's second stay over at the Washington family lodge. Her and Mike had just started dating, Jessica and her were still like sisters, Hannah and Beth were still alive and happy and laughing...

"Fuck." Emily hissed and threw her phone onto the bed. She draped her arm over her eyes and dropped back against the comforter as the battle between old guilt and shame commenced once more.

Some people said she was too prideful. As much as she loathed it, she would be the first to agree with those people. Emily _hated _being wrong in any way shape or form.

_"It was just a prank, Han!" _She had called into the night.

And it had been a prank just as much as a warning. Hannah always had a problem with what didn't belong to her. She was the precious baby girl of the Washington family; everything had given to her on a silver platter. What she wanted, she got, and that was where her boundary had issues stemmed from. She had been young and impressionable with a head full of desire for a Prince Charming like Munroe. At least, that's what Sam said to defend her. Emily knew otherwise; she had seen the little photos and mementos Hannah kept of Mike in her room. Hannah's behavior had actually started to unnerve her. Emily and Mike had been dating for a long time, yet Hannah was practically obsessed with him!

How did Emily know this? Because she was smart; she observed, listened, and studied just like her oh-so-wonderful darling parents taught their adopted daughter. Yeah, she was adopted, so what? Her parents couldn't have children so they picked the next best thing. She was grateful, though, not to mention lucky. Unlike dear little Hannah Washington, they did not spoil their darling daughter. They made sure she walked outside dressed-to-impress the fuck out of whoever saw her, but they raised her like they would one of their business investments. Her family owned a magazine-editor company. Emily was next in line to take over the family business when the time came, so they had drilled it into her head that she had to succeed in her life; to _win._

So, she did.

Honor-Roll all throughout school, a 4.0 GPA, scholarships...but it wasn't enough. They pushed her harder to do more and more, and Emily excelled. Her teachers praised her, people admired and envied her, and still her parents wanted her to do more...

Then, one day, she met a blonde girl named Jessica Riley and the two became fast friends. From there, Jessica invited her to a party, and there she met Mike, who had come there with Chris and Josh. From there, she was invited by Josh to spend winter break at the Lodge, and from there...well, she gained a group of friends she'd never had before.

And then, years later, everything was torn apart.

After the prank, things were never the same. Josh ceased all contact with them and went off the grid. Both her, Mike, and Jessica began to get into fights about what had happened. Blame was shifted and placed, words were thrown, and then after one particularly nasty argument, her and Mike split. Two days later, she'd nearly come to blows with Jessica and they stopped talking entirely.

And it had hurt. A lot.

So, she looked for someone to numb the pain. She'd always found Matt Brown attractive and he was hurting just as much as her. That one night had been just what she needed, but what was a one night stand for Emily was apparently the best night of Matt's life. Now, he wouldn't leave her alone. It was annoying, if slightly endearing. _Slightly._

But, one by one, their little group distanced themselves away from each other until all that remained were fond and bitter memories.

Emily shifted her arm and stared up at the ceiling as her day's events churned inside her head.

_**"Guys...this is, like, the first time we've all been in the same room in what? Half a year?" **_

Ashley had always been an optimist; her and Chris. Both were idiots.

_**"What happened to us?"**_

Death; that's was what happened, Ashley! Why can't you see things will never be the same?

_**"We used to do everything together."**_

Matt was an optimist as well as an idiot, in that case. Why should she even care, anyway? The past was the past. It could not be changed. The only thing that mattered was pushing through the present towards the future. What should she care if people she'd _known _were in over their heads?

**"**_**Because, Sam might be in danger?"**_

Oh please! Chris always had a habit for being over-dramatic. The whole thing was probably made up. Besides, Sam hadn't talked to them in ages and didn't seem to give a damn, either. Most of their group's memories had been made on that farm of hers, back when they were whole instead of broken. Back when they were ten instead of eight...

_**"We're all here because of a stupid, random reason and we'll probably never talk to each other again afterward." She shook her head sadly, "People just don't become friends again."**_

Emily let out a steady breath. If there was one thing she hated, it was being wrong, and she had gone very wrong with Hannah. Maybe…maybe she would check up on Sam, if only to clear her thoughts...

Outside her window, the wind howled as the storm clouds returned.

* * *

**Slight changes regarding The relationship between the characters. Jessica and Mike are not officially together. In the game, Jessica is labeled as Mike's new girlfriend and the way the characters talk, it seems that Mike and Jessica got together possibly right before Josh invites them to the lodge Or something like that. So they are not technically together right now but they will be. I wanted to post this chapter tonight and it's been a long day so I'm going to go over tomorrow and edit it properly. Pardon any mistakes or grammatical errors. They will be fixed. Goodnight yall!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6: Moonlight_

_James_

_James opened his eyes. Blinking, he looked around at an eerie darkness surrounding him on every side._

_**"James..."**_

_"Who's there?" He called. He heard his name again. The voice, feminine in tone, echoed in the dark. It sounded familiar, but at the same time, it was...__**wrong. **__The voice seemed to come from every direction, growing louder and more distorted._

_**"James...James...James...JamesJamesJamesJamesJamesJames!"**_

_James' eyes glanced around wildly to find the source of the noise._

_"Who are you?!" He yelled._

_Suddenly, the voice stopped. Silence filled the air. The atmosphere became ominous in a way that held his breath hostage. The only thing he could hear was his own heart pounding in his chest. James swallowed hard and he exhaled another breath that came out in a puff of steam. The air around him suddenly dropped in temperature. The hairs on his arms rose as a result, but not from the cold...no, from __**danger**__. His ears perked at the sound of movement behind him and a loud, shrill screech, unlike anything he'd ever heard, sounded off within the darkness. The noise made him jump and the young werewolf whirled around with eyes searching frantically._

_The screech echoed above him this time. James looked up and found himself under a blinding white light. The glare gradually lost its intensity, and when his eyes adjusted, his surroundings were revealed. He was in a cavern of sorts; some kind of tunnel. Was he underground? Dark stone encased him on every side. Old, weathered support beams and rusted rail tracks lead into the dark. A mine cart was just up ahead with the bright light from the ceiling glinting dully off the aged metal. This was a mining tunnel._

_James stepped from the light into cool, dank air with the musk of old earth and stone clinging to his skin. As he looked around, he began to notice the markings on the wall. They were all the same thing; a bow and arrow with the arrow notched and ready. Charcoal drawings and carvings of the bow and arrow with the arrowheads pointing into the depths of the tunnel. The more he looked, the more there seemed to be. They covered the length of the tunnel from the ceiling to the wall, and even across the rocky ground. Something about them, and he didn't know what, seemed oddly…familiar. _

_Then, one by one, all the arrows began to glow bright yellow in color. They lit up the tunnel and stretched off into the dark. A strong gust of winter air blew against his face, bringing with it a flurry of snowflakes. James shut his eyes against the gale, and when he looked back up, all the markings had stopped glowing, but there, at the end of the tunnel, was something glowing bright yellow and fluttering towards him. It was a butterfly; a glowing, yellow butterfly. James watched, mystified as the insect fluttered by him and floated off into the tunnel. James turned and followed it without pause, passing under the bright light coming from the ceiling once more as it floated deeper into the din. _

_Its light began to fade, but just before the darkness swallowed it, its color changed to a distinct red. _

_The horrifying screech sounded again, this time closer, and James jumped in place. He could hear something scuttling in the dark just ahead of him. Fear took over and he stepped back into the center of the light. A searing pain burned the length of his neck and he grabbed at his throat with a hiss escaping his clenched teeth. His hand was burned upon grabbing the object of his discomfort, and James tore it free. Steam rose between his clenched fist as he slowly parted trembling fingers to reveal his uncle's necklace within his blistered palm. _

_The name Bert Steele glistened in the light. _

_Slowly, James looked up at the silvery glare from above. His eyes widened at the sight of the full moon blazing down upon him from the opening in the ceiling; its bright, hypnotic light looming swallowing him whole as he parted his lips in a cry of terror_

James awoke with a shout and lurched from the bed gasping for breath and glancing around wildly. He was in his room. Sunlight seeped through the window to coat him in its warm, soothing glow. James heavy breathing slowly began to settle. "That was different." He thought with a morbid curiosity. Usually, his dreams consisted of three things; nonsense, nightmares, or flashes of memory from the Animal, although those were rare and just bits and pieces of things like the confines of his Cage or loping through the forest if he had escaped, but this had been different; VERY different. James shook off the creeping feeling that had settled in his stomach and stood up. It didn't matter. Dreams were just that; dreams. They only existed in the depths of your mind. What truly mattered was what was real and tangible in front of you.

A sharp rapping on his window made him jump and turn to see Sam standing outside his window with a smile and wave as a good morning. "Morning!" She called through the glass.

James frowned and stomped over to pull it open, careless of his state of dress, "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Me? Oh, nothing in particular." Sam hummed as she looked him over.

"Really now?" James hummed back sarcastically.

There had been a flurry of snow last night. The sky was clear blue, the grass was covered by a coat of white, and the cool air made him want for a shirt even though he didn't really need one at the moment. James had developed a very high tolerance to low temperatures. Many frigid nights in the wilderness and an above-average body temperature saw to that. Sam stood outside in a gray coat and black, knee-high boots with her usual wry smile in place as she briefly looked him up and down.

"You sure it's not coincidental that you lose your shirts when I'm around?" She asked curiously.

James looked down at his bare torso and sweatpants then rolled his eyes. "First off, no. Second of all, eyes up here, Sam." He threw back as Sam examined his form with over-exaggerated interest.

"I'm _sure _they are." She drawled.

It was funny in a way. Usually, he felt uncomfortable with his scars blatantly on display like this and he still did in the back of his mind, but if it was just Sam? Well, he didn't mind too much.

"Aren't you cold?" She asked.

James shrugged, "No." He said simply.

Sam shook her head, "Seriously, get a shirt. Hypothermia is no joke!"

"I've been in colder weather than this. I could tell you about some of the times I had to sleep outside with even less clothing on."

"I'd like to hear about that sometime. I bet you have some crazy stories to tell." She said softly.

She wasn't wrong. "Maybe some other time." James said, "Now, not that I don't mind you showing up at my window and letting the heat out…"

"You're the one who opened the window." Sam countered with an amused look.

"I know what I said. You need something, Sam?"

"First off; shirt. " She told him, "It's pretty obvious you're cold there, Perky."

James looked down at his chest, frowned, and turned to get a shirt with annoyed grumbling that made Sam roll her eyes. She watched him reach under his bed and rustle around within a black trash-bag for a black long-sleeve and grabbed his work boots. It was one of the shirts she had bought him and she smiled at the sight. However, Sam wondered if James had anything else besides what he had in that trash bag. He always seemed to wear the same thing every day and she rarely saw him in anything else.

She tilted her head and asked, "James, do you have spare clothes?"

James stood up, asking, "Why?" And pulled on the shirt. Slipping on his boots, he threw a leg out the window and stood in the snow with her.

"Today is basically a free day for everyone. It is almost Christmas and it's just you and me here. I was planning on heading into town to do some shopping. Want to come?" She asked.

James blinked at the proposal, "Really?"

Sam giggled, "I wouldn't have asked if otherwise. Unless, you've got something else to do today?"

He'd gone to the Cage last night to make sure everything was in place and ready for the full moon like he'd been doing all month. James had been constantly reinforcing it with strategically placed silver and heavy chains to tie himself up with. It was as good as it was going to get for now. He'd planned on going back again today to quadruple-check everything again, and a long hike through the cold just to stand inside a freezing metal container until nightfall was not as appealing as Sam's offer…wait, what was he even thinking! The full moon was tonight! Usually, on the day of a full moon, James would either do one of two things; stay inside his Cage from dusk till dawn or spend the rest of his day desperately trying to distract himself by any means necessary. He never really did anything 'fun' per-say, and certainly not with people. Come to think of it, how long had it been since he'd actually spent time with others? Four months had gone by; four long months of self-exile, solitude, and fear. Although, this last month had been rather enjoyable. He had Sam to thank for that…

You know what? What the hell? It was bright and early in the morning and they both had the whole day to themselves. It's not like they'd be out until midnight. That was when the time the Change usually kicked in around, anyway. What was the harm in actually having a little fun with someone he trusted and making memories before another night full of hell?

"Why not?" James said with an honest smile, "Could be fun."

Sam smiled back at him. "We don't just have to go shopping, you know? I could show you around town. I know a lot of fun places to go."

James shrugged. "You're the boss."

"He can be taught, ladies and gentlemen!" Sam said to an imaginary audience. James grumbled with a roll of his eyes, "Don't make me throw a snowball at you." Sam threatened him.

James gave her a flat look, "You just want an excuse to throw a snowball at me."

Sam just stuck out her tongue which made him raise an eyebrow in response. However, if he was going to go out, he realized, he was going to need one more thing. James hopped back through the window. "One minute." He told her. After rustling around in his bag stashed underneath his bed, he picked out the black square of worn leather and it fell open sideways to reveal a crinkled and faded photo of him and his uncle standing side by side. Pausing, he tilted his wallet to look at the picture upright. James in the picture was clean-shaven, wearing a black suit, and had a trimmed head of hair. His uncle wore his classic, orange-patterned overshirt, a dirty workman's t-shirt, and blue jeans covered in white stains. He had his pipe in his mouth and a plume of smoke was rising under James' nose. James' expression was a forced smile as he had been trying not to gag. It had been taken before he'd gone off to prom. James remembered his date had been the photographer, his suit had been too tight, and the pungent smell of his Uncle's pipe-smoke make him cough up a storm as soon as the picture was taken. He chuckled inwardly at how he'd shown up to prom smelling like tobacco smoke and cologne. God, the memory of that day felt like it had been decades ago. James' eyes softened as sadness crept through him. He ran a hand through his long hair which he'd grown out to hide his face and down stubbly cheeks that hadn't seen a razor in months. After that minute of reflection, James stood up and walked back to the window where he stepped out and shut the the window behind him.

"Ready?" Asked Sam. A few minutes later, the two were inside her truck and headed into town. In between light-hearted banter and the mock-arguments the two seemed to constantly have, James's mind played back to the dream. What had that even been about? The thought made him frown. He looked down at the truck's digital clock as they began to drive off.

_10:30 AM_

He'd keep an eye on the time throughout the day. He doubted they'd be out until midnight, after all. The whole town would be asleep before it was time for him to be Caged.

XXX

_Emily & Matt_

She kept telling herself this wasn't a mistake.

"Emily, are you sure about this?" Matt asked her as they pulled up to the gravel.

"Yes." She responded.

_**No.**_

"Did you even tell her we were coming?"

"We never needed to before. Besides, it's the holidays. Remember when we'd come over for Christmas? Sam's is practically by herself this time of year."

Many a Christmas party filled with happy memories of laughter, drunken craziness, and better times had been held at Sam's farmhouse when they couldn't go up to the lodge for the winter.

Matt pulled up into one of the parking spaces and Emily hopped out before he even shut his truck off. "Don't you think this is kind of sudden?" He called after her. '_Or rude?' _He thought to himself. Emily walked out onto the property like she owned the place, much like she did everywhere she went, and made a beeline for the farmhouse with Matt trailing behind her. The two walked the length of the yard up to the front porch to where she knocked on the door twice and waited.

"Sam!" Emily called after a minute.

"Emily, I don't think she's home." Mike offered.

Emily rolled her eyes and said, "Well, I think she is. She's probably upstairs in the tub listening to music or something." She banged on the door again, "Sam!"

Matt sighed. He hated when she was like this "Emily," He began "Don't you think you're focusing too hard on this?" He asked "You're-"

"I'm what, Matt?" She snapped. Matt's jaw clicked shut as Emily glared at him over her shoulder "I'm what? A bitch? Calloused? Cold-hearted?" She stepped towards him, "What I am, Matt?"

Matt wrapped his hands around her smaller ones and stepped closer, "You're upset!" He told her firmly, "You're angry and you aren't thinking straight. I know you didn't get any sleep last night, either" Emily's expression was calm and stoic, but he knew it was a mask she put up when she didn't want her emotions to show.

"Yeah, because I was texting you, doofus." Emily bit out.

"We were talking about Sam." Matt quickly shut her down, "If there's anything I know about you, Emily, is that you don't think straight when you're tired."

Emily scowled, "I'm thinking just fine."

"What's 672 divided by 7?"

Emily didn't miss a beat "96." She answered with a frown.

"Uhhh..." Matt came up short, "Well, there goes the point I was trying to make." He grumbled.

Emily's shoulders sagged as the fight drained out of her. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose "No...you're right. I am tired. This whole week has been messing with my head." She glanced back at the front door "I'm being so stupid. She probably wouldn't want to see us anyway."

Matt shrugged, Maybe she just isn't home? I didn't see any other cars in the drive. She's probably out getting something. We could come back later?"

Emily sighed and shook her head "No, let's just go."

Matt frowned as Emily walked by him and he put an arm around her shoulder. He smiled to himself when she didn't push him away like she usually did, and together they walked back to the car. Emily walked up to the passenger door and opened it. Matt did the same, but just before he got in, Emily paused and glanced back at the farmhouse, "Wait." She said, "Where's her grandparents?"

Matt blinked "I..." And he fell short. Sam's grandparents rarely left the property, and the only one that did was her grandmother, but even then, that left her grandfather. Matt could never remember a time where the Gidding's front door had been without someone to answer it. "I don't know. Maybe they're out with Sam?" He said, unsure.

"Their car's not in the drive..." He heard her say. Her eyes scoured the Giddings farm, searching as if to spot the absent elderly couple. Emily blinked and shook her head before she slid into the truck with Matt copying her and starting the engine. As they pulled out of the drive, Emily couldn't get rid of the growing sense of unease coiling in her gut.

XXX

_James & Sam_

They pulled into the parking lot of a mall. Sam killed the engine and motioned for James to get out. "Come on, let's get you some new clothes."

With a shrug, James unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the truck. Sam followed suit and walked with James towards the mall. As soon as they entered, Sam dragged him through several floors worth of clothing. Shirts, jeans, shoes, shorts, winter clothing, and underwear. James eyed the women's underwear section. "_She better not make me go in there, I swear to God..." _He thought warily. However, Sam wasn't feeling her usual mischievous self. Instead, she went over to the jackets section and waved James to come over. Shuffling over, he suddenly had a jacket shoved into his face.

"Try this one on?" Sam asked.

James looked at it and then back to her with a cocked brow, "Seriously?" He deadpanned.

"Pleeeaassee?" Sam begged "I need to see this, just once, please?" James complied . "Hmmmm," Sam said while looking him up and down, "Leather _does _look good on you! Makes you look like a proper bad-boy."

James raised an eyebrow in the mirror at the black leather jacket hugging his frame and tossed her an amused look, "Thanks. I like to look my worst, you know? The broodier the better."

Sam laughed out loud.

After a couple hours of shopping, _Sam, _had picked _him_ out several pairs of jeans, sweatpants, socks, and a new pair of shoes. Sam also had paid for everything, which had shocked him because the total price was well beyond his budget. Frowning as he grabbed the bags, four in each hand, James felt the need to speak his mind, "I still feel guilty that you're paying for all this. This is really expensive."

"You ever hear the saying about looking a gift horse in the mouth?" She asked as they reached the exit.

"Yes, and I will never understand it."

The doors slid open.

"How? It's self-explanatory!"

"Not really."

_"Sam?!"_

Sam became very still before turning in place to face the one who had called her name.

"Emily?"

Sure enough, Emily Davis stood just outside mall entrance with her mouth parted in surprise with Matt Brown standing beside her.

"Hey!" Matt said, pointing at James, "You're that guy from the road!"

"Hello?" James grunted in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Emily asked. Her eyes darted between her and James in confusion with her brow furrowing in thought, and Sam felt her hackles raise.

"Shopping." She said shortly.

James' head turned when he heard her tone. Sam's expression was flat. Her eyes were dull, her mouth a thin line, and the fingers of her right hand kept curling against her thigh like she wanted to make a fist. He frowned as he looked from Sam to the couple before them, trying to make the connection. People began to filter by and pushed the four closer together in the space between the entrance and exit doors. Sam fidgeted under Emily's stare and Matt kept trying to catch her eye.

"So..." Matt began "How've you been doing, Sam?" He asked.

Sam picked at a hangnail that wasn't there, "Good." Was all she said.

Matt faltered slightly before turning back to James, "Hey, thanks, by the way; for the other day. You really saved us."

James shrugged a shoulder in response, "No problem." He said simply.

"What's your name?" Emily suddenly asked James, suspicion coloring her voice.

Before he could even begin to respond, Sam looked up from her imaginary hangnail and said in a voice as smooth and cold as ice, "None of your business."

Emily's eyes widened, Matt sucked in a quiet breath, and James stared at Sam. Her green eyes were now hard and flinty like emeralds that glittered with anger. James reached out and brushed her wrist, "Sam?" He whispered. Her hand shot out and gripped his sleeve before walking past the couple and pulling him with her "C'mon, James." He heard her mutter. Shocked by the sudden change of events, James allowed himself to be pulled along.

"Sam!" He heard Emily call. A glance over his shoulder showed him the two standing there stock still. The girl had an expression that bordered on desperate and the boy was looking shamefaced. Sam's grip tightened and she tugged with an urgency that spiked his worry. She brought them all the way back to the truck, and when James and the bags were inside, she pulled off without even letting the engine warm up. For a while, they drove in silence.

"Mind telling me what that was about?" James finally said.

Sam let out a quiet sigh after a moment and began talking. "I'd say they were 'old friends' but that would be a lie. And I use the word 'friends' lightly. Emily and I...first off, we never really got along from the beginning, but...look, how much did Josh tell you about his sisters?"

"He told me what happened to them; that it was because of a prank" James said with a shrug.

"Emily was a big part of it. Hannah had a huge crush on her boyfriend, Mike for the longest time. Emily, along with everyone else I don't talk to, just about humiliated Hannah." She said with a scowl, "Hannah ran outside, Beth went after her, and we never saw them again. It wasn't even Emily's idea in the first place, but it doesn't excuse the fact she played along with it, _or _the fact she doesn't even take responsibility." Sam grimaced, "She's one of those people who can _never _be wrong. She can be a real bitch, too. So, yeah, I don't talk to her or Mike anymore. Or Ashley. They all were involved in the prank. Chris was the only one I kept in contact with, aside from Josh, and Josh...well, you saw how he is."

The edges of James lips tugged into a frown as they sat in the car for another long moment of silence.

"Enough about that!" Sam suddenly said, her voice lighter. She reached an arm out and nudged James' shoulder, "Let's just focus on our day, huh?" James gave a small smile and nodded as they turned down the road. However a something Sam said had him raise an eyebrow.

_"Our day?" _He thought to himself as he looked down at the clock on the radio

_12:05 AM_

XXX

_Matt & Emily_

Things were quiet for a long time.

Emily hadn't really spoken since they ran into Sam. She didn't even want to go in the store anymore. Instead, they'd been sitting in his car for over ten minutes now with Emily staring out the window with her phone in her lap. Matt wished he would have stopped Sam, at least pushed for her to stay. Every since they'd both met with Mike, Jessica, Chris, and Ashley, something had been eating at Emily and tearing her up inside. She'd been desperate to see Sam, or a chance least speak to the girl.

"Matt?"

Matt's head turned to stare at her. She wasn't looking at him, instead her gaze was staring out the windshield, focused on something he couldn't see. "Yeah, Em?"

"That guy Sam was with...the dude from the road..." Her brow furrowed in concentration "She called him James."

Matt frowned "Yeah?" Where was she going with this?

"Remember what Chris said about the guy who was involved with a murder?"

Matt's frown deepened before his eyes shot open and he stared at Emily in alarm. Emily looked back at him with eyes hard and mouth a thin line. Slowly, she lifted her phone to show him the news article Chris had sent them all those days ago. Emily had zoomed in on a picture attached; a young man with dark brown hair and green-grey eyes that were set in a very familiar face. Matt went for his own phone and pulled up the link again. A minute later he looked back at Emily with a scared expression, "Oh my god." He breathed. Emily's expression did not change as she took her phone back and started to go through her contacts, "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Calling Chris. I'm gonna tell him what just happened and tell him to get everyone else and meet up at the place where we took Beth for her sweet sixteenth."

Matt blinked, "Everyone?"

Emily's glare was fierce as always, but for once, it wasn't aimed at him, "Everyone."

XXX

_Sam & James_

_3:56 PM_

They talked more as they drove throughout the town. James kept loosing track of time as multiple stops were made, stores were explored, and Sam just kept taking him around her old haunts and places of her childhood. It was nice; it reminded him of the times he and his friends would go out in a car and just drive to get into all kinds of mischief. Then, somehow, they started talking about her old gym.

"Yeah, going there since I was seventeen. We're actually close by."

"I used to go to one, too." He shook his head "Its a shame. I used to love to work out."

"Jeez, I want to know your routine! I've seen you lift some pretty heavy stuff. Either that or you were born with super strength." She didn't missed the way James flinch in the way he did when he thought about his past. Sam knew better than to push him, but she couldn't resist trying to get him to open up, just this once. "So..." She drawled, "Which one is it? Super-strength from birth or an insane workout program? Or steroids...what?" She asked at the expression that had taken over his face.

Unknown to her, James was battling himself internally.

_"What if I told her?" _He thought, _"I mean it wouldn't be too hard to convince her." _

**"She would think you're a monster!" **Roared the darker part of his mind.

_"But what if-"_

**"You killed your own uncle! You think she would want a monster with all the blood on your hands?!"**

_"I don't-"_

**"What do you think would happen? That she'd accept you? No. She'd run; she'd run far away to the POLICE!"**

James sighed and Sam frowned. She could see him pulling in on himself. James, in turn, didn't want to lie to her. He was so tired of telling lies, but he certainly couldn't tell the truth, either! So, he did a little of both. James lifted his hand and stared at it, feeling the strength of the Animal course beneath his skin.

"I got stronger after the attack." He began lowly "I know it sounds crazy, but after I got out of the hospital, I was...stronger. I scared me, at first, I'm not going to lie."

Sam stared at him, "Really?"

"Yeah." James confirmed.

"I've never heard anything like it, but I believe you. There's probably some weird science behind it or something."

James huffed a laugh that sounded vaguely bitter, "I doubt it." He said while glaring out the window.

Now it was Sam's turn to stare at him. James Steele...he was a mystery. She could honestly say he was a genuine mystery; one that seemed to suck her in deeper each time she found a new piece to his puzzle.

"I read about what happened to your friends." She decided to test the waters further, swimming into his past, "Why didn't you give a statement? I read the reports from their families, but there was nothing from you."

James just shook his head fervently, "I didn't want to talk about what happened. News stations asked for interviews, but I said no. Having a camera shoved in my face and asked 'what happened' a dozen times? No."

"I know what you mean." Sam said softly, "After the twins disappeared, everyone wanted to know what the truth. Josh's dad is a movie producer and it caught attention. Well, that and the fact they weren't the first people to disappear out there...anyway, reporters started sniffing around looking for details." She sighed, "It was really rough. Some people blamed us for what happened. We got things like hate-mail from people we never even met before!"

"Seriously?" James said,both surprised and offended on her behalf.

"Seriously! After that, we all kind of split apart."

One of the worst things out of the aftermath of the Twins disappearance, in her opinion, had been the reaction of Josh's parents. The Washington's were from America, Sam couldn't remember which state, but they owned a house up here. Literally a _week _after the twins disappeared, they had told all of them to keep things quiet about what happened. Then, they saddled Josh with his therapist and left him there in that lonely house! He'd been living by himself ever since. Things got worse after that. Sam had been still hurting from losing Hannah and Beth, Josh's mental health just went straight to shit, everyone was fighting, and she just felt lost. Sam just broke away from everyone and kept to herself. Then, she met a guy who she'd thought understood her; someone who knew what she was going through, and maybe, _maybe _somehow make all her troubles go away. Then, when he knew she wasn't going anywhere, he had turned into a narcissistic jackass who tried to control her whole life. _That_ got shut down real quick.

A long silence followed between the two of them. Sam was lost in memory and James watching her, unsure of what to do. After a moment, Sam shook her head from the memories and looked at James with a smile that made his heartbeat quicken.

"Hungry?" She asked out of the blue.

"Y-yeah." He answered quickly

"Good! Let's grab a bite to eat before we head home; I know a really nice place."

_5:26 PM_

XXXX

For once, James had enough money to pay AND leave a tip, much against Sam's protest. They walked out of the restaurant with Sam giggling at James' story about his uncle Bert trying to lure a stray cat out of his attic with a cheeseburger.

"So, he holds the cheeseburger out and he's all; 'here kitty, kitty' and then the next thing you know, this cat pounces on top of his head and he's screaming "ITS A FERAL CAT! ITS A FERAL CAT!" And he's running around the house with this cat latched onto his head." Sam laughed at the faces James was making and mimicking his uncle during the story.

"Your uncle sounds like a funny guy." Sam said, walking beside him to the truck.

"Yeah...he was the best." James said with a small smile. "Hey, what time is it, by the way?" He asked as they approached the truck.

"It is..." Sam took out her phone "9:34!"

"We were in there for four hours?" James muttered to himself.

"Time flies." Sam said with a shrug.

James shrugged back. It wasn't too late. If anything, it was perfect timing. They were about to head back and he still had time to get to the Cage. And, he allowed himself to think as he glanced down at Sam, it had been a good day.

_Then, everything went wrong._

James heard three pairs of footsteps coming behind them and turned to see three young men walking towards them.

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy!" The one leading them called out as he slowly approached them.

Sam narrowed her eyes in disgust, knowing full well who it was, "Go away, Jake." She growled at her ex.

The guys arms drooped in mock-disappointment. "Ah, come on Sammy, no need to be rude." He pulled his hood back to reveal his face and James blinked, hard. If ever there was a textbook definition of the word fuckboi, this guy was it. Slicked back hair that screamed of too much gel, a snotty expression, and a smug smirk James wanted to knock off his face. His two cronies weren't far-off in the stereotype department, either. Their pinched faces made them look like rodents

Jake sized James up with a sneer, "Whose this? Your new boyfriend?" He asked.

"Its none of your fucking business." Sam retorted hotly. She glared as Jake took a step closer. James looked down as he felt Sam's fingers grip his sleeve. Nervousness and anxiety came off the blonde in waves. His silver necklace began tingling against his skin as something rose up inside him that had his hands curling into fists. The Animal was there, but something else was, too; something of himself, for once.

Jake started speaking again, "It kind of is my business, seeing as I happened to see you cozying up to some guy I've never seen before. Just thought I'd come over and see how you've been keeping, Sammy-"

"Leave her alone." James cut him off with a growl. He got a vibe from this guy that he **did not **like.

Jake's face lit up in amusement and he laughed a little as his goons glared at James and tried their best to look intimidating. They just wound up looking like constipated raccoons in James opinion. "Oh yeah? This isn't any of your business pal, so why don't you run along before you get hurt." Jake told him.

James' body seemed to move on his own. He took a step forward in front of Sam, putting himself between her and Jake, much to her surprise. "Back off right now." He said lowly, _dangerously_. His body felt hot, blood was pounding in his ears, and his breathing was coming out hard and heavy.

"Come any closer and I'll knock that cocky, dipshit look off your face." Jake said with another sneer.

"Leave." James repeated.

Jake didn't laugh this time. Instead he frowned "Alright then...guess we need to teach you some manners."

The two other guys Jake had with him started to walk forward with cruel grins that set James teeth on edge. His hand pressed against Sam's stomach and firmly pushed her back, "Stay behind me." He grunted.

The taller of the two raccoon-goons pointed at James as he neared and said, "Your ass is about to feel some serious hurt!" Before both picked up speed and charged him.

James _moved._

He ran straight into their charge and started swinging. The two punched and struck him. Sam cried out his name as she saw blows land against his face and stomach...but he did not falter. A snarl tore free from James' lips as he lashed out and grabbed the one by the arm when he punched at his face again. The young man yelped as James' hard fingers dug painfully into his forearm, and his friend tried to grab James from behind, but James turned and grabbed _him _by the scruff of his shirt, turned again, and threw them both away from him with a shout. James went after them as they stumbled, striking out with a punch that struck across the taller one's jaw and dropped him like a sack of potatoes. He grabbed the second friend and hauled him in close to land two punches directly to his face and stomach that laid him out cold. Then, he turned on Jake and began walking. Jake took two steps back to every one James took.

"Do you know who I am in this town? Do you!?" Jake cried out as his hand went for his back pocket.

James jabbed him in the face and sent him reeling back before his legs gave out and his butt hit the pavement. Jake's hand went to his nose and came away bloody. He gasped "What the fu-!" but the hand that wrapped around his throat cut him off. Jake's eyes bulged as his windpipe was squeezed and found himself being raised onto his feet. He punched at James' face and the arm holding him, but James continued to lift him off the ground into the air one-handed, still growling like an animal. Just as Jake's vision began to go dark, his other hand came up and stabbed a switchblade into James' right shoulder.

Sam's hands flew to her mouth.

James' grip slackened and his eyes lowered onto the blade embedded there as Jake's shaky hand pulled it out. Their eyes locked, and James' grey-green suddenly flashed orange.

"What the fuck!" Sam heard Jake whisper feverishly.

Then James threw him into the wall of the closest building. He did not get up after that.

"James!" He heard Sam call. Looking over, he raised his head slightly as the blonde ran up to him and looked him over, namely the stab wound. "Oh my god, James we need to get you to the hospital!" Sam panted frantically, covering her mouth at the sight of the blood seeping out of his jacket. "James, come on, don't just stand there! We need to-" James suddenly fully turned to her and all but backed her against the wall so that he encased her with his body. Sam gasped from the sudden proximity and looked up at him with wide eyes. His arms rested by her sides with palms against the wall, his breath came out in harsh pants, and his head was bowed so low that she couldn't see his face.

"...James?" She whispered.

Slowly, James' head tilted up to look at her.

She nearly screamed.

His eyes...they were orange! It was like someone had painted his iris the color of a bonfire. No longer a mix of grey-green, but the color of fire! Sam couldn't move, couldn't _breathe-_

James suddenly blinked and the orange glow winked out. He blinked and looked down, his eyes widening in both at their position. He looked at her frantically, "I...I'm-" James stammered and practically threw himself away from her, "I'm so sorry!" He blurted out quickly in a scared, broken voice.

Sam didn't move. She stood there flush against the wall and tried to catch her breath and catch up with her thoughts. His eyes had been orange! _Orange! _Before she could say anything, James suddenly turned and fled into the dark, leaving the blonde pressed flush against the wall and wondering what the hell had just happened.

XXX

James' heartbeat pounded in his ears and his rapid breathing left traces of mist in the cool, night air. He continued to run, run, and run as fast as he possibly could through the streets. He nearly stumbled when a searing pain burned along his collarbone and sternum and slowed his gait, stopping directly in front of another restaurant. The streets were all but empty and no one seemed to be out this night, which was good, because there was no one to see how his fingers were burned when they grabbed at the source of the pain; his necklace. James ripped it off over his head with a yelp and stared down at it, hissing through his teeth. Steam and sizzling flesh greeted him as he slowly opened his clenched fist to see that palm was red and blistering from where the silver touched his skin. The sound of a door slamming open made James jump and drop his necklace in the process before he could jam it in his pocket.

"James?"

James looked over his shoulder to find Emily and Matt standing in the doorway. Both were staring at him with shock visible on their faces. Behind them Chris and Ashley walked up, and behind them stood _Josh_, and then behind _him _came another blonde girl and a tall dark-haired man around his age.

"Uh, you know this guy?" Mike asked Matt.

Jessica squinted at him before they widened in realization as she remembered the picture she'd been shown inside the bar, "Hey, you're that guy!"

Jessica opened her mouth to say more, but Mike stepped closer. His eyebrows went up upon seeing him, "Oh shit! This is the guy?" He asked Chris.

For James, everything was fading into white noise with the only thing he could hear properly was his heart thundering in his chest. His eyes flashed orange and he let out a hiss that morphed into an inhuman growl. Everyone flinched from the sudden noise and looked at James as he stumbled off the sidewalk, clasping his head.

"Dude, are you okay?" Matt questioned and began to approached him. James staggered away from him and directly into the middle of the street.

"JAMES!" Came Matt's yell as he took a swift step forward with an outstretched hand. Jessica and Emily cupped their hands over their mouths, Mike moved to dash up along with Matt, but it was too late as the headlights lit up James back.

Turning his head to the source of the light, James hypersensitive eyes were completely blinded. Something suddenly slammed into him with incredible force that made everything go black for a moment. James body flew through the air and bounced across the road with the audible snaps and cracks of bone filling the air before he rolled to a stop.

For a moment, there was utter stillness and silence as the six young adults and one drunk-driver stared at the body in horror. Then, orange eyes blinked open and a bone-shaking growl split the silence.

Bones popped and snapped back into place, bruises faded, cuts healed, and James pushed himself off the asphalt to glare through the windshield of the vehicle that had struck him and at the dumbstruck driver within, who gaped at the fiery-eyed man glaring back. James lurched forward with teeth bared and slammed shoulder-first into the truck and made the whole thing shake. Metal and plastic cracked as James roared and reared back to lift the front end of the truck clean off the ground. The driver screamed and James glared up at the helpless man in the vehicle as the front tires spun helplessly. His mouth opened to reveal long, sharp canines and a harsh snarl ripped from his throat.

In his adrenaline fueled panic, the driver kicked his vehicle in reverse and floored it when James let go and it slammed the truck back on the street. The vehicle peeled backwards and the sound of crumpling metal rang out as its bumper was ripped off by James' grip. The truck swerved and jerked about at the man promptly made his exit by swinging it around into the narrow street, backing up onto the sidewalk, knocking over a mailbox, before righting himself and tearing-ass down the road without stopping at a red light.

James stood in the street, staring after the fleeing vehicle while clutching its bumper in his hands. His orange eyes flickering, he slowly looked down, dropping it, and stared directly at his hands which begun to shake violently. He then slowly looked up at the six pairs of eyes that were wide as dinner plates and the utterly shocked expressions staring at him. He then looked up to the top of the bar, directly at the ominous full moon hanging in the cloudless sky. Looking down, he stared past Emily's shoulder through the window of the bar. Particularly at the clock hanging on the wall inside.

_9:50 PM_

His eyes widened in shock. But...but it wasn't even midnight!? So why-?

_**WHY?! **_

He groaned, a mixture of distress voice and the gravelly chuff of an animal as he turned and stumbled down the road, before he began to _book _it down the street and into the darkness at a speed that made him look like blur.

The six people he had just left behind stood stock still while staring after him. The sound of an approaching truck skidding to a stop made them snap out of their trance and looked up to see a familiar red truck roll up and another blonde girl hopped out.

"Guys?!" Sam breathed out in shock when she saw them.

"Sam!?" Emily managed to get out weakly, staring at her with lingering shock.

"What are you all-?" She shook her head, "Josh, did you see James run by here?" She asked, seemingly out if breath.

Matt let a shaky breath of air out and tried to process what in the hell he had just witnessed, "Uh, you-you could say that Sam." He fumbled out, blinking dumbly.

Sam scrunched her eyebrows questioningly at the four before an object on the ground caught her attention. She bent down and picked it up. The names 'Jones' and 'James' glinted off each side of the silver tag. It was James' necklace! She held it up, looking at the four with concerned green eyes. "Did any of you see him run by? I need to find him, please! I-I don't know what's going on and-" At their dead fish stares and silence, she growled in frustration. "Forget it!" She snapped and whirled around to climb into her truck.

The other six stood there in shock, neither moving or knowing what to do. Then, Josh stepped forward. He strode across the pavement and got right into Sam's truck.

Chris blinked, "Josh, wait!" He called and ran after him with Ashley, hot on his heels.

Emily stared at the truck for a long moment before she grabbed Matt's jacket, "Come on!" She said and tugged him forward. Mike and Jessica just stared at each other before Jessica shrugged and they joined the others.

Sam had just tossed James' necklace into her glove-box when her passenger door was suddenly opened as Josh climbed inside, followed by Chris and Ashley who squeezed in. Emily and Matt hopped into the bed of her truck with Mike and Jessica joining them at the last minute.

"He went that way!" Josh quickly said, pointing down the street towards the woods.

"What are you all-" Sam began.

"Your boyfriend flipped a fucking car!" Came Chris' voice.

Sam whirled on him "What?!" She demanded. Chris just pointed to the side of the road where a torn bumper lay on the pavement.

Sam looked from the direction Josh pointed and back to all of her…old friends, who were staring at her with unsure expressions. All they needed were the twins and it would be just like old times. Sam growled under her breath before muttering, "I have no idea what the hell is going on, but hang on!" She called and put it in drive. Sam's lead foot hit the gas, and they were off. Mike and Jessica yelped in alarm as the truck lurched forward towards the woods and grabbed onto the sides to keep themselves steady. Emily grabbed onto Matt who grabbed onto anything to hold himself still.

"I forgot how she drives!" He whimpered.

"I have a question." Sam asked after a moment "Why are all of you together?" Sam's knuckles tightened around the wheel, "Last time I checked, we all hate each other."

"No we don't!" Piped up Ashley from Chris' lap.

"This is because of your boyfriend!" Chris told her "I told you he's dangerous, Sam?"

Her eyes flashed when she glared him and he flinched.

Josh's finger stretched by their faces and pointed onto the road, "There!" he said. They all looked forward. Sure enough, there was the black leather of James just ahead of them. They saw him glance over his shoulder at them before picking up speed. Sam glanced at the speedometer with wide eyes. She'd been going 60, but cut it back to 30 when she saw James. Yet, he was ahead of them. Sam looked up at him with wide eyes. That meant he had to be running at least 35mph-

James suddenly stumbled and threw himself off the road. Sam cursed and swerved so she didn't risk hitting him. Emily and Jess screamed from the back, and Josh swore loudly. Sam looked out her window and saw James stumbling up an overgrown path into the trees. Wait...she knew where they were at. That was the road that led to the old storage facility James had showed her. Sam swung the car around and went off-road after him.

"Hang on, hang on!" She yelled to everyone as they crept up on James' back. He seemed to be limping, or at least struggling to walk. He was moving like he was drunk. What the hell was wrong with him? Then, James' whole body jerked and and he fell flat on his face.

"James!" Sam called and got out of the truck. The others called for her to stop but she ignored them and ran up to him. "James, what's wrong?" She asked worriedly, grabbing onto his shoulder. His skin was sweating and burning hot to the touch. James groaned loudly again, and beneath her hand, she felt his shoulder cave inward with a sickening snap.

"Gaaaaaah!" James screamed and flipped onto his back.

"James?!"

Mike clambered out of the truck, followed by most of the others. "Sam, get away from him!" He called.

"S-somethings wrong with him!" Sam stammered. James continued to writhe on the ground, panting and whimpering.

"Yeah, something's wrong with him, alright!" Chris said, yanking her away from him.

"Chris, let go! He needs help!" Sam's pleas went unheard as Matt and Chris muscled her behind them and into the arms of the other girls.

"Did you see how fast he was running?!" Matt told her hysterically "He's gotta be on drugs or something!"

"He's not on drugs, Matt! He's just-I don't know! Just, please, he needs help!" Sam tried to push past Emily and Jessica, but the two kept her back in a rare show of cooperation.

Mike walked over to James and grunted, "Alright, get up."

James briefly stopped convulsing and managed to force himself onto his knees, shaking all over. His pained grunts made Sam wince with each ragged breath he took. James head faced the ground with his long bangs dripping with sweat, "Get…get away from me..." he growled through clenched teeth.

"Nice try, pal, but you don't scare me." Mike sneered, moving towards him, "We know who you are. We're calling the police and you're going straight to jail. Now get up!"

James didn't say anything and just stayed rooted to the spot.

Mike took an aggressive step towards him, "Did you hear me? I said get up!" He yelled and grabbed James by the scruff of his shirt.

"Mike leave him alon-!"

Sam's words caught in her throat when Mike was suddenly sent flying through the air by a violent shove and landed hard on the forest floor a few feet away from James.

"Mike!" Jessica cried, running over to him.

Mike scrambled back to his feet, "What the fuck?" He murmured, stunned and astonished by the display of strength.

All eyes were on James. He kneeled within a ray of moonlight peeking through the trees, breathing roughly, shaking and sweating. The sight painted an ominous picture.

"James?" Sam asked quietly.

James slowly raised his head, and everyone gasped. His eyes were two pools of molten magma staring out of his face with black pupils standing out in sharp contrast. His expression was one of pure horror and fear. His mouth worked as he spoke through sharp teeth.

"Run..." He whispered. Then, louder, he screamed "Run!"

His head jerked back and he let out an inhuman howl of pain that echoed through the trees as the change began.

His right arm jerked itself in an odd angle with a sickening crack that echoed in everyone's ears along with his cry of agony. His left arm followed suit in a similar fashion. Each of his fingers snapped backwards with violent pops, then sideways, and then back into place at different intervals, becoming longer and thicker. Fingernails exploded into long, hooked claws. The sound of ripping and tearing clothing filled the air as James's entire body swelled and expanded. Overcome by pain, James fell forward as his screams became distorted moans. Grabbing at the collar of his shirt, he tore it off in one fluid motion to expose the bulging musculature underneath. Every vein was pushed to the surface of his skin when his chest cavity seemed to leap outwards and the others watched in horror as his rib-cage and sternum broke apart and reformed, becoming larger, broader, and hollowing down the length of his body before their very eyes.

"_Oh...my...god!_" Jessica whimpered. Sam could feel Ashley shaking beside her.

Emily screamed.

James transformation paused. Opening unholy orange, he gazed into Sam's shocked spring-green before sweeping over the rest of the group. For a moment, they all stared at each other with James' terrified, human face attached to a monstrous, disproportionate body and looked at all of them with undisguised horror.

"R-R-" he started, spittle dribbling down his chin. Then, "RUUUUUUUN!" Came the anguished, distorted scream as his face jutted outward into a snout and coarse, black hairs sprouted across his entire body.

Sam didn't get to see the rest. Josh grabbed her and yanked her back to her truck and shoved her inside. Ashley quickly followed. Josh yelled to the rest, "Get in the truck! Get in the truck!" before bailing into the driver's seat. Jessica, Mike, and Emily turned, ran back to the vehicle, and threw themselves into the bed without a second thought. The sudden influx of people smashed Sam up against the passenger window. Looking outside over Ashley's beanie and Josh's head, she saw Chris and Matt, too terrified to move, staring at…_something._

It was large, that much was obvious, large with shaggy, black hair that covered the creature's physique and blended in with the surrounding dark. It's muscular neck sported a thick, rugged mane of black fur like a lion's. The head was large and broad with a wolfish snout, but it couldn't be called anything canine. It was a strange mishmash of ursine and lupine features; an animal that looked like it came from some prehistoric era long since past. It picked itself up off the ground with its massive paws and shook its muzzle, as if to clear its head, then it looked at the two boys with molten orange blazing out of black fur. Sam felt something primal inside her quail in fear. The…_creature_, snarled; pulling back furry lips to reveal a razor sharp canines, incisors, and premolars; all pearly white and gleaming in the moonlight. Powerful, compact muscles bunched and moved as it reared back on hind legs like a bear. Standing over eight feet tall and five times as broad at the shoulder, it towered over the boys like a mountain of fur, fangs, and claws.

Matt and Chris, stricken with fear, refused to move.

Those blazing eyes swept over the two boys and landed on the truck. Then, it sucked in an audible breath and _roared_. The sound was like the roar of a lion mixed with the deep bellow of a bear. Sam had to cover her ears against the raw _noise _it produced. It felt like her whole body was shaking and she swore she saw the windows vibrating rapidly. Finally, the sound ceased as the beast _(James?)_ dropped back down on all fours and hunched forward. Chris and Matt, removing their hands from their ears, stared at the hulking beast before them. Although losing height, it was still about five feet tall at the shoulder and nearly the length of her truck. Sam's world seemed to pause as she watched the creature began to stalk towards Matt and Chris. With each step it took, they could see powerful muscle and tendons flex and rise beneath its fur as it slowly closed the distance.

Sam felt paralyzed. That creature…it (_he?)_ was once someone she knew! Her friend! And it..._he _was going to kill someone she knew! One of her friends!

"Chris, run!" Ashley sobbed, "Please!"

Josh reacted at the last second and flipped on the high-beams, blinding the lupine monster. The creature winced and turned to shield its eyes from the light.

"GET IN THE TRUCK!" Josh yelled.

Pulled from their fear-fueled limbo, Matt and Chris turned and scrambled to the truck and leaped onto the bed and landed hard. Josh kicked it into reverse with a cry of "HOLD ON!" The wheels spun and gathered some distance before Josh shifted into drive and hauled off down the misty, backwoods road they came from.

For a few precious seconds, silence reigned.

Josh was the first one to speak "Did..." He panted "Did that…did that actually just _happen_?"

"What the fuck _was that?!_" Exclaimed Emily from the bed.

Mike was practically hyperventilating when he spoke, "Everyone else saw that, right? That was a fucking _werewolf, _man!"

Ashley was clutching her beanie and chanting, "Oh my god, oh my god!" Under her breath. Jessica was crying and Sam was staring out into the night with eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

Mike crawled over and slid open the rear-view window, "Sam, what the fuck's going on?!" He shouted over the wind directly at her with a panicked voice. She only stare back at him, too shell-shocked to speak.

"Sam?" he repeated "Sam!"

Sam blinked "I-I don't know..." She managed to get out.

"You don't know? What do you mean, _you don't know!?_" Mike demanded, "Fuck, he practically lived on your damn farm, and you didn't know he was…was _that THING?!_"

"Enough, Mike!" Josh barked, keeping his eyes on the road. Hooking a right, he steered entered back onto the main road and quickly cut off an incoming car who honked at the panicked teens as they sped away.

"Josh, slow down!" They heard Matt yell.

"What do you mean 'enough'?" Mike demanded "It's because of her we nearly got killed by the _fucking wolf man!_"

_"And how is it because of her!?"_ Josh roared.

Everyone was taken aback at the outburst because Josh _never _yelled. His dark eyes swept the group in the rear-view, "How the hell was she supposed to know, huh?! How were _any of us _supposed to know that was gonna happen!"

"J-Josh." Ashley stuttered out before he continued with an unhinged chuckle.

"And don't worry, I'm as freaked out as you guys are! I mean, I even told him about my sisters! _Fuck, _I certainly didn't see _this _coming tonight!" He choked out, the fear of the situation at hand and the complete shock of it all began to set in. Sam's heart ached to see him like this again, as well as fluttered with fear at the fact that Josh looked close to losing it and he was behind the wheel.

"Josh-" She started to say. However, she was cut off by Josh suddenly turning to the right without warning and rocketing down a bumpy back-road at 65 miles-per-hour. "SLOW DOWN!" They heard Matt yell again, but his voice went ignored. They wound up in an open field; a back part of Sam's farm that hadn't been used in over a decade. The skeleton of a decrepit barn rose into the sky from their left, the moonlight highlighting the rotting wood and various holes in its frame.

"Josh?" Sam questioned as the truck came to an abrupt stop. Josh didn't say anything. Instead, he got out and began to make his way towards the barn. "Josh!" Sam called again and got out of her truck. Once she was out, she moved to follow Josh but was cut off by Mike.

"Hold on, Sam." He said clambering out of the bed with a shaking Jessica holding onto him, "You've got some explaining to do!"

Sam rounded on him with rage sparking in her gut "What explanation, Mike? A _'Yes, I knew he could turn into a monster'? _Newsflash, Munroe; I didn't!"

"We wouldn't even be here if YOU didn't hire him!" Mike accused.

"Are you saying this is _my_ fault?!" Sam exclaimed, outraged.

Mike continued, "Why didn't you call the police, huh? You were basically harboring a fugitive from the law and you didn't do anything! Instead, you give him a job and became friends instead of reporting his ass!"

**XXXX**

**The wolf continued to lope through the forest, gliding between the trees. He could feel the fresh air blowing through his fur, feel the blood pounding in his ears. Harsh breaths exhaled from his wide jaws as he picked up speed, his ragged panting turning into steam in the chilly, night air.**

**_"How dare you!" _**

**The wolf suddenly came to a halt. His ears stood firm and erect, panning to the direction of the voice. A familiar voice...**

**Flashes of green eyes and blonde hair danced across in his mind accompanied by words and feelings brought on by memory. The voice reached his ears again, filled with hurt. It made twinges of anger and protectiveness roil in his gut. He could hear the anguish in the voice and he wanted to stop it, wanted to end whatever was hurting the precious voice!**

**He bared his fangs with a snarl and dashed through the forest again, hurtling closer and closer...**

**XXXXX**

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM!" Sam screamed at Mike "You never met him in your whole life and you're acting like this is this my fault! How was I supposed to turn him away when he was practically in the same position as Josh!"

"That's your excuse!? Trying to make up for the way Josh is by helping criminals!?" Mike shot back at her. Everyone was out of the truck at this point, except Matt, who was standing in the bed.

Emily decided to open her mouth and said, "Way to go, Sam!"

"You know what, Emily?" Sam bit out with a bitter and twisted smile staining her pretty face, "You're right! This is all _my_ fault! It's my fault we're all out here at night running from a monster! I'd rather be at Josh's house with Hannah and Beth-oh, wait, I _can't!_ They're _dead _because of _your fucking prank!"_ She all but screamed. Mike could only stare. Jessica bit her lip and Emily shut her eyes and turned away in shame. Ashley covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to cry either. Chris just looked down and Matt sniffled a little before looking out at the trees. Sam sobbed and buried her face in her hands, "I thought I could help..." She whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The crash of foliage echoed through the clearing. Everyone's attention was directed to the tree line as the rapid padding of heavy footfalls came into earshot.

"Oh, shit!" Mike yelped, "Run!"

Everyone ran for the barn. Everyone, except Mat. He slipped as he made to run and wound up spread eagle on the truck's bed while the massive werewolf barreled out of the trees and headed straight for them. It stopped once it saw them and rose up on its hind-legs to roar. Matt, too fear stricken to move, laid flat as the lupine creature took five massive steps to follow them before pausing by the truck. Matt whimpered as the monster strode up, towering over the truck and stared down directly into his eyes. Matt closed his own, fully expecting to be mauled to death, but after a terrifying moment of nothing, he opened his eyes and found that it had moved on. He scrambled up and watched it head straight towards the barn where the others had run into.

XXXXX

"Come on! Come on!" Sam urged the others inside.

Once everyone was inside, she closed the doors and pulled a wooden beam through the metal bars. As soon as she did, a massive force struck the doors. Sam screamed. A bright orange eye glared at her from between the gap in the doors followed by a vicious snarl. Running away from the door, Sam climbed a ladder that was still intact straight up to the loft and hunkered down behind the layers of debris scattered around. That's when she realized she was the only one up there and looked around for the others. She saw Josh, Mike, Jessica, and Emily tucked into one of the old stables. Upon seeing a leg slide under an old, rusted tractor down below did she know where Ashley and Chris had gone off to. Suddenly, the sound of breaking wood made Sam jump out of her skin. She had to stop herself from screaming out loud as the werewolf erupted through the heavy wooden doors of the barn and practically ripped them off their hinges.

Crossing the threshold, the beast scanned the seemingly empty barn and took great, lumbering steps forward. When it's paw landed besides the tractor, Chris had to stop Ashley from screaming. Mike held Emily and Jessica close to him as they listened to the creature begin to scent the air. Dropping down on all fours, it continued to sniff loudly while it lumbered around the side of the tractor, growling and baring its teeth as it did so. Then, it stopped sniffing and paused while tilting its head. Slowly, it lurched forward and grabbed the front end of the tractor with its opposable front paws and tilted it up to reveal the tiny humans hiding underneath. The werewolf growled down at them and they screamed.

Then, a gunshot split the air. Standing in the open doorway was Josh with a pistol in his hands. The creature barely flinched. Instead it slowly turned its head to glared at him sideways with its fiery orange eyes. Josh swallowed hard before firing another shot, this time getting the creature directly in the snout. It let out a hacking bark of pain and let go of the tractor. Chris and Ashley rolled and ran out of the way as it came crashing back down and sent old dust and dirt everywhere.

"RUN!" Josh yelled over the angry roar.

Mike shoved Jessica and Emily forward from their hiding spots and ran for the door. Growling and shaking its head, the werewolf looked up at the fleeing humans and roared once more. "Shit!" Mike swore, tearing past Josh as he took aim again

Orange eyes darted to the tractor and narrowed as furry lips curled in anger. Long claws dug gouges into the metal as the werewolf grabbed the tractor and got a good enough grip to lift the entire thing above his head with his chest and muscles heaving from the effort. Sam watched in a shocked sense of shocked awe and horror as the old tractor was hoisted off the ground.

"Oh...fuck..." Josh whimpered as the creature reared up with a snarl and chucked the tractor across the barn. Josh jumped out of the way as it flipped, bounced, and almost hit him before it crashed through the wall.

Getting back on his feet, Josh found James' attention directed solely on him, and he began to approach with a snarl. Josh scrambled to his feet and fired another shot, this time striking James in the chest, but the werewolf barely seemed to register the bullet. In fact, it only succeeded in pissing him off. Josh fired again, this time striking him on his shoulder, and swore he saw the wound heal before his eyes. He pulled the trigger again, only to have an empty 'click' fill his ears as the werewolf bore down on him. Dropping the gun, Josh walked backwards until he felt his back hit the wall.

Nowhere to run.

He watched with fear stricken eyes as the creature stopped before him. When it dropped down on all fours again, it seemed to fill up his whole field of vision. It let out an open-mouthed snarl and Josh smashed his eyes shut, preparing to feel the white-hot pain of all those razor-sharp teeth searing into his flesh.

_"NO!" _

Everything stopped. Opening his eyes, Josh looked to find the uncomfortable view of a heaving, furry stomach in front of his face. Sam had stood up from her hiding place, looking down at the massive werewolf trapping her friend. James was up on his hind legs again, massive head turned to look directly at her.

"Please!" Sam whispered, fighting the tears, "Not him too...not like his sisters..."

The black werewolf was as still as a statue, its orange gaze boring into hers. Suddenly, in one fluid bound, the creature was scaling up one of the large wooden beams of the barn and hopped off to land on the loft which miraculously held under its weight. Slowly it approached her. Sam, knowing she had nowhere else to go, just watched as the werewolf neared and stopped directly in front of her.

Memories unfolded in her mind; memories of who this creature was.

_Soulful grey-green eyes blinking in amusement..._

_A smile tugging at the corners of lips that always seemed to be stuck in a frown..._

_A rough, calloused hand resting on her shoulder, "I gotcha." He said "I'm not gonna let you go through this alone..."_

James. This...animal...was still James. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, it still had to be that same young man she grew to consider a close friend. The guy who put up with her teasing, smiled at her jokes, and always, _always _could be counted on to help. He was the same guy who was there for her to lean on when her grandparents passed away, the same scared runaway who had a breakdown in her barn. Slowly and hesitantly, Sam let out a breath and spoke.

"James?"

Orange eyes flickered at her words and black furred lips twitched before settling. Sam, used every ounce of her experience with animals to judge her next move in the approach. She made sure not to look directly into his eyes, kept her stance strong and not submissive, and spoke softly with her hands balled into fists at her side, "J-James? It…it's me, Sam? You know, your boss?" She cracked a watery smile that was as weak as her knees felt. The animal was as still as stone, the only movement was the subtle heaving of its shoulders with heavy breaths. Sam forced herself to continue, "If…if you're in there…if you're still _you_…please, James…stop."

The wolf snorted lowly, it's gaze unblinking and boring into hers with a primal intensity, but there was intelligence there, she could see it. Maybe even recognition, or so she hoped.

"Sam-!" Josh began.

"Josh, _no!" _She hissed as the wolf's head snapped to Josh with a snarl, "No!Let me do this!" She told him before turning her attention back to the werewolf, whose attention was back on her. Good. That was good. It seemed that the cold, logical side of her had been brought to the surface despite the raw, mind-numbing _terror _she was feeling. The sheer disbelief of what was occurring probably helped dull the fear a bit. Fortunately, Josh stayed silent; opting to swallow heavily and stare up at them with eyes that were wide and afraid.

The werewolf's nostrils flared, scenting the air, and Sam froze. James lifted a paw and moved half a step forward, head tilting slightly as he angled his twitching nose up towards her face. Loud snuffling echoed in her ears as that black muzzle drew closer and closer, and Sam closed her eyes and turned her face away from the approaching snout. Hot breath washed across her cheek in a snort and she cracked open an eye to see that the werewolf was not doing anything besides sniffing her. Those eerie, orange eyes were lacking the ferocity they held a moment earlier. Now they looked almost curious. The werewolf's triangular ears were upright and twitching as his wet nose pushed against her chest, whuffling madly like her dogs did when she had treats hidden in her pockets. A deep chuffing came from the werewolf's throat, and Sam began to turn her whole body to face him. Despite everything in her that told her she was crazy to think otherwise...she felt no threat from the creature in front of her. It was a simple matter of fact for her. She knew this animal would not hurt her. It was a feeling that came from working around animals for so long, and Sam trusted that; trusted her instincts. Slowly, carefully, Sam lifted her hand and reached out. The werewolf's eyes flicked to her hand and Sam froze when his snout dipped to sniff her fingers. Sam was positive that the werewolf could bite off her entire arm if he wanted to...but he did not. Instead Sam's fingers stretched out and dipped into his woolly mane. The fur was thick, rough, and course, but as her hands dipped further, Sam found there was another layer of softer, fluffier hair underneath.

Just before her fingers touched the skin of his neck, James flinched and drew away from her with a growl. Sam flinched and stepped back, heart pounding rapidly and eyes shut tight. Sam felt him pull away, and when she opened her eyes again the werewolf was slowly backing away from her while glancing down at the ground below. Then, it leaped over the railing with the grace of a wildcat and touched down with a _thud _that shook the whole barn. The furry beast glanced over at Josh, who had stumbled back at its sudden descent. Orange eyes narrowed in brief analysis before it let out a snort and disappeared out the open door in a black blur of speed. The following silence was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Shakily, Sam moved to the edge of the railing and stared down at the broken barn doors and the gaping hole in the wall, and then at Josh who was shaking like a leaf and glancing from her to the entrance.

"J-Josh!" She called down "Are you alright?"

"Josh!" Both their heads turned as Chris and the other six came charging back inside. Chris's eyes fell on his friend and he ran forward and threw his arms around him "I thought you were dead!" He gasped in relief. Josh shakily returned the hug.

Matt's eyes darted around the barn, "Where's Sam?" he asked.

Mike looked around the empty barn with eyes wide, "Sam?" He called "Sam!?"

"Up here!" She called. There was a collective sigh from the rest of the group at the sight of her climbing back down the ladder.

"Oh, thank god!" Chris sighed in relief as she made her way over.

Emily spoke up, "We saw it run out of the barn. We...we thought it got you." She shuddered. Sam's arms unconsciously slid around her waist protectively as she flashed back to burning orange eyes and snarling fangs.

"Where'd he go?" Josh asked.

"Ran into the woods." Matt supplied before looking around at everyone with a shell-shocked expression "So, James is…he's a _werewolf_?" He asked, bewildered.

"What do we do now?" Came Ashley's timid question.

"I'll tell you what we do!" Mike said, stepping forward, "We find some silver and we kill that thing!"

"What? No!" Sam exclaimed.

"I'm with Mike." Chris said, standing next to Mike, "Sam, I don't know if you noticed, but that guy turned into a _monster _and tried to _eat us! _He probably killed those people and that's why he's running!"

"No, he didn't!" Sam defended hotly.

"Oh come on, Sam!" Emily snapped at her "Chris is right! Who knows how many people he's killed?" She crossed her arms and stood firm, "He needs to be put down!"

"He's not an animal!"

"Oh really?" Emily laughed "Then what else do you call what just chased us?"

"A werewolf?" Matt tried weakly.

"Shut up, Matt!" Emily snapped at him.

Mat threw up his hands, "What? You gonna say I'm wrong? I saw a person turn into a _giant wolf _right in front of me!"

"He tried to kill us!" Emily argued.

Matt shook his head and said, "Not me." Looking around at all the questioning stares, he said, "I was still in the truck when you guys ran in here. He looked right at me, Em, and he didn't do a thing. What if...what if he isn't in control of himself? He did tell us to run, right?" He looked back and forth between the other's and Sam before moving over to stand next to the blonde, "I say, come morning, we find him and get some answers." He stated confidently "Sort this whole thing out."

Sam reached over and squeezed his hand, "Thank you, Matt." She murmured gratefully. The athlete sent her a small smile back in return.

"Matt, seriously?" Emily squawked in disbelief.

"You're talking about _killing someone_, Emily!" Matt fired back.

"Dude, he tried to kill_ us!" _Chris exclaimed. Chris turned to Ashley who was staring at the ground and rubbing her arms in a display of nervousness "Ash, what do you think? We gotta do something about this, right?"

Ashley bit her lip and looked around at Matt and Emily's hard expressions and Matt and Sam's pleading looks "I-" She croaked "I don't know!"

Chris sighed, "Ash-" He began.

"I don't know!" Ashley moaned and clutched at her beanie, "Chris, this is crazy! I don't know what to do!"

"No surprise there." Emily muttered.

"Ash…" Chris lamented before moving forward to hug her.

Mike groaned and scrubbed a hand down his face and turned to Jessica, "Jess?" He asked her softly "What about you?"

Jessica just shook her head and turned away from him "I don't care." She shuddered and hugged herself, "Just…do whatever. I've had enough of tonight."

Mike, knowing not to push, sighed and looked back at Chris and Emily with a shrug. Emily just rolled her eyes and Chris looked at Josh, who was leaning against a wooden beam, dark eyes wide and darting from person to person. Then, his eyes fell to the pistol lying on the ground.

"Josh?" Chris called softly. Josh flinched at the sound of his voice and looked at him. Chris pointed to the weapon, "Why…why do you have a gun?"

Everyone turned to Josh who stared back at them with wide, vacant eyes. "I…" He stuttered and blinked. He looked down at the gun with a faraway look like he was trying to figure out what it was doing there, "I…I thought I was going to need it." His head swiveled up to stare at Mike and Emily "You said he was gonna hurt Sam."

"What?!" Sam exclaimed, rounding on the two.

"No, I said he _could _hurt Sam, Josh! _Could!_" Chris instantly corrected before Sam could start yelling at him again. He stared at Josh, "Why would...how did that translate into bringing a gun?"

"Josh, were you gonna shoot him?" Matt asked incredulously.

"N-no!" Josh said, shaking his head. He shut his eyes hard and shook his head harder, "No, no, no! I wasn't! I wasn't thinking straight, I..." His face tightened in a grimace before he froze as if just realizing something. Opening his eyes, he blinked rapidly and looked around at them, "I don't know." Was all he said. Josh stared down at the revolver as if just seeing it for the first time "I'm not...I am not thinking straight right now." He said in a surprised tone of voice.

"Oh my god..." Mike groaned, covering his face with his hands and walking away, "Can we get back on track here? Are we just going to ignore the fact that there is a goddamn _werewolf _on the loose?"

"Maybe we should call the police?" Chris suggested.

"Seriously? The police? They won't believe anything we say! We'll sound crazy!"Emily spat.

"Emily's right." Ashley spoke up suddenly, "No one's going to believe us..."

The eight looked around at each other as the realization set in. Something had happened here tonight; something that no one else would believe unless they'd experience it firsthand. Something that was a danger to everyone in town...

"You know what this means, right?" Mike addressed the others, "We're the ones who have to do something about this."

"What?" Emily blurted out.

"We're not killing him, Mike." Sam reaffirmed.

"Well, we gotta do something!"

"Why don't we do what Matt says, and talk to him in the morning." Josh suddenly slurred angrily. The last of the Washington children swayed over to stand beside Sam and Matt and faced the three opposite him.

"Josh, dude-"

"Cochise." Josh held up a hand with an angry grimace on his face "No one is dying." He looked him dead in the eye, dark eyes glinting dangerously, "Not again."

The eight stopped and stared around at one another. Chris, Emily, and Mike stood opposite of Matt, Josh, and Sam. Jessica and Ashley stood off to the side. They were scared and divided.

They made their decision.

* * *

**_EVERYBODY REVIEW BECAUSE FEEDBACK FUELS ME!_**


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: Bane_

_James_

Even though he never had the pleasure of experiencing one, James could easily guess what a hangover felt like.

_This._

His head felt like someone had performed brain surgery on him with a blunt spoon, the morning light was like needles piercing into his eyes, bile burned in the back of his throat, and his mouth tasted like cat-piss. He preferred that over the heavy tang of blood, however. His whole body ached, hurt, and felt all kinds of wrong while dry sweat and grime clung to his skin. Being able to think straight was a slow thing to come after the Change, but when he finally was able to process his surroundings, James noticed three things.

One, he was lying naked on the ground, but that was no surprise. Two, he was naked and cold, also not a surprise. What caught his attention, however, was that he felt the absence of the cold sting of silver around his neck. He shifted to get his hands under him and felt the texture of dew covered leaves, sticks, and grass instead of what should be concrete. James' eyes widened and he blinked away the bleariness until he could see clearly.

He was in the woods.

An icy weight dropped into his stomach. James flipped over onto his back to sit up and looked down at himself, but sighed in relief a moment later because he was _not _covered in blood like he'd dreaded. That relief was short-lived, as the fact he was _not _in his Cage stabbed into him like a knife.

Another reason James compared it to a hangover was that his memory became jumbled when it came to recalling things that happened prior to the Change. He traced his mental steps from yesterday morning, being out with Sam, getting into a...fight? With Sam's ex?

_It all came flooding back._

_**Sam's eyes wide as they stared directly into his own...**_

_No…_

_**The icy burn of his necklace stinging his flesh…**_

_Oh God…_

_**Headlights washed over his back as he sped down the empty road…**_

_Please… _

_**Sam shouting his name when he collapsed to the ground, agony slicing through him as moonlight seared his skin…**_

_No…_

For a moment, he just sat there paralyzed as the memories crept back to him and sluiced ice water into his stomach. People _knew!_ People…people _saw _him! They were alive; the lack of blood and gore staining his flesh testified to that. He desperately _hoped_ they were alive! Sam…oh god, Sam! And Josh, too! Oh god-

James abruptly rolled over as his stomach heaved and he voided whatever was left. Panic gripped his brain in a vice and held him as fear set in. His body felt frozen as that icy feeling of panic swept through his whole body, drowning him, _consuming him_-

A haze swept over his vision, and when he blinked, he was back on his feet. His rampant thoughts were driven away as a sharp, cool pressure overtook his mind and set it to survival mode. Everything was pulled into focus. He needed to escape, get out of Calgary and Alberta all together. Go to a different part of the country, preferably a deep forest away from people that he could hide in for the rest of his life. He would have bolted right there and then if it wasn't for two stopping factors. One, he was ass naked in the forest and it was getting a little nippy. He doubted he'd be able to catch a bus naked. Speaking of which, that led to number two; clothes. More specifically, his supplies. He'd stocked up on enough money, clothes, and rations for a trek through Canada that were back on the farm.

He hadn't been deluding himself; eventually he'd have to skip town. Sam's discovery of who he was had set him back, as did the death of her grandparents. Hell, even _Josh _had made him want to stay. It was _nice _having friends; to have human company and interaction. James let out a grim laugh at the realization. He'd honestly started to think that he could start a new life here; one with friends and a job where he could pretend he didn't have a monster hiding under his skin.

James snarled and shook his head, "Focus!" He growled.

He couldn't dwell on it; couldn't allow himself to follow that train of thought. What he needed to do get back to the farm, sneak back to his quarters, grab everything and get out of there as fast as possible. His muscles shivered against the cold before his body was flushed with heat and warmed him. James shivered at the feeling before he opened his eyes again and he took off in a full sprint towards the direction of the farm.

_XXX_

Sneaking back onto the farm naked proved easier than expected. It was still the weekend and the other workers were out and about and wouldn't be here until tomorrow. So, James dashed from the tree-line and slunk along the farm until he got to the living quarters and got into his room through his window as quietly as he could. Then, he immediately threw on some clothes and began to stuff everything he could into his backpack.

Dashing over to his bed, he lifted the mattress up and snagged everything he'd saved up. It was about three miles on foot to the nearest bus stop and he knew a few routes through the woods he could take to get back into town. Then again, there was the chance Sam or her friends called the police and the town was on the lookout for him. He hadn't see any police around the farm, however, but he didn't want to take any chances. James got up, brain whirling as he moved towards the window once he was sure he had everything.

Maybe he could see if Thomas could help him out or give him a lift somewhere-

The doorknob turned and swung inward, revealing Sam standing there with a key in her hand and a shocked expression once she caught sight of him. James froze with his hand on the windowsill. Her startled spring green eyes locked with his wide grey-green, and for a moment, neither spoke. The air was thick with a rising tension that could have been cut with a sheet of paper.

Sam's mouth parted to speak the same time James blurted out, "Did I hurt anyone?"

She paused for a second before she slowly shook her head "No." she breathed quietly. James searched her face for a moment before he let out a breath of relief at the admission. Sam's eyes drank in the scene in front of her, "You're leaving." she observed.

James pressed himself closer to the window, "Did you call the police?" He asked in a terse and hurried tone.

Sam blinked before a weak, wry smile was forced onto her pretty features. She tried for humor, "You really think they'd believe a couple of kids calling in the wolfman?"

James didn't appreciate it at all. His eyes narrowed and he glared at her, "Answer the question!" He growled out.

Sam flinched from the tone of his voice and shook her head quickly. James' eyes continued to study her, tracking her in a way Sam found reminiscent to the orange-eyed creature he had become last night. Then, he blinked and turned back to the window without another word.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked. James twitched at the question but didn't answer, instead opting to open the window wider. "Hey!" Sam called as James moved to swing his leg out. He still ignored her, and for some reason that made her blood boil in her veins. She stormed forward with all her frustration, fear, and confusion rising to the surface at once. She marched up and grabbed a hold of his shirt. The second she touched him, his body swung around so fast she stumbled. James' shoulders heaved with heavy breaths and his expression was wild and feral. He seemed to tower over her as he took a step forward and Sam found herself shrinking back.

"Don't!" He growled low in his throat, "Just…just _don't_, Sam." His voice broke and he let out a shaky breath, and Sam realized that their relationship had been rewound to when they first met. This was the silent, wary boy that trusted no one and put up walls against all the people around him. For some reason, that hurt more than she realized it did.

"So, that's it?" She found herself saying. James tensed and looked away, but she wasn't finished, "You…you're gonna leave? Just like that?"

James's gaze swung towards her with narrowed eyes, "It's not like I can stay!" He growled.

"Why not?" She demanded.

James stared at her for a long moment, "You…you _saw, _right?" He stated blatantly "You all saw...what I turned into." He shook his head, "I can't stay now that people know."

"I'm not going to call the police-"

"Yeah, _you _might not call the police." James interrupted harshly "But what about your friends? Can't really say they made the best impressions, Sam!"

Sam tried to explain "We all agreed not to do anything until we know for sure-"

"Know what?" James asked, irritated, "What do you want from me, Sam?"

"A fucking explanation for one thing!" She shouted at him. James' face twisted into a snarl that was all teeth, but she didn't care. James didn't scare her. In fact, he was just making her angry.

"I can't explain!" He shot back and he turned away, "You wouldn't even understand." He grunted and walked to the window.

Sam stared at his retreating back as a haze overtook her vision. "Coward!" She hissed through clenched teeth, and James froze in place, "You're just gonna run again because you're afraid? _I'm _afraid, James! I am _terrified _right now, but I'm standing here trying to help you! _Again!" _She chuckled bitterly, "Fuck, James, I didn't know you had such little faith in me!"

James's hands clenched into tight fists and kept his back to her, "I-" He spoke through angry breaths "Am _not _a coward!"

"Then talk to me!"

Slowly, dangerously, James turned in place to look her dead in the eye. "_Fine!" _James spat, "You want to know what's going on? FINE!"

And Sam froze as his irises were consumed by a familiar, orange hue.

"I'm a _werewolf_." James growled out as he stalked towards her, "That's the truth, Sam! I'm a fucking _werewolf! _That's why I ran away! Why I am going to _keep _running! As long as I'm around people, I'm dangerous!" The orange winked out from his eyes and his voice cracked, "I'm a monster..."

They stared at each other, James's face a rictus of emotional turmoil and Sam's one of renewed shock. Then, there was the sound of a door slamming open and a familiar voice called Sam's name. Multiple footsteps ran down the hall until a horde of seven people flooded the doorway with Chris leading the charge.

"Sam, are you-" He stopped once he saw James, "Oh…" He trailed off.

Mike pushed his way past the others and stepped inside, "You!" He growled pointing a finger at James.

Sam stepped in front of him, "Mike, no!" She growled "We promised I'd talk to him first!"

James stepped back from the sudden influx of people and found himself pressed against the wall away from the window. Multiple eyes were on him; unfriendly, fearful, confused, and in some cases, angry. Case in point: Mike.

"We heard you yelling." He said, eyes darting back to James. James' narrowed in return as the other boy maintained eye contact with him, and feeling of indignation welled up inside him..

"I have this under control!" Sam argued with Mike.

"It didn't sound like it!" He fired back.

"For the love of-will you all just _chill?" _Sam exclaimed in frustration.

"It's kind of hard to do that when there's a guy that turned into a big, furry monster in the same room as you." Chris quipped.

"Yeah and tried to eat us!" Emily scoffed.

"You didn't have to follow me." Everyone except Sam jumped at the sound of James' voice. He glared at all of them, "I was trying to get away. _You_ followed me!"

Emily was the first to respond, "_You_ tried to eat us!" she repeated.

James vigorously shook his head, "No!" He hissed "_I _didn't." He looked away "The Animal did."

"So…" Everyone looked towards Ashley as she stepped forward to speak, "You're…you're a-"

"Werewolf?" James finished for her. He let out a sharp breath, "Yeah," He half-whispered "I am."

Josh broke the following silence with a soft laugh "That explains a lot." He muttered before suddenly flinching. "Sorry about last night." He told James.

James frowned, "For what?"

"I shot you."

James blinked, "Uh…it's okay?"

"Too bad you didn't have silver bullets." Mike quipped.

Josh turned to the teen, frowning, "What is your deal, Mike?"

"My deal is that this _freak show_ tried to eat us!" Mike bellowed, glaring at James.

James finally had enough. Something tore apart and roared inside him. He stormed forward with a growl and eyes igniting into burning orange. Everyone started at the shift in eye color as James stalked towards Mike. Mike hadn't expected retaliation of any sort for his words and he could only stare into James's molten irises in fear and shock as he approached. Sam was the first to put herself between James and Mike.

"James, stop!" She tried as he tried to push past her. James was panting heavily, his hands balled into fists, and he bared oddly sharp teeth at Munroe, who stumbled back until his back met the wall.

"JAMES!" Sam shouted as loud as he could.

James flinched like he'd been slapped and stepped back away from them, blinking rapidly until the orange glow was gone from his eyes. He stood there for a moment and stared at the floor with a look of frightened realization before looking up at their stunned and fearful gazes. He visibly gulped before turning and snatched his backpack off the floor.

"So," Sam rasped suddenly, "You're just gonna leave?"

James didn't stop. He threw the backpack over his shoulder and moved towards the window without a word.

"Fine! Leave!" Sam yelled after him, "Leave the only person that tried to help you! A person you promised you'd be there for!"

"Sam-" Josh whispered, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Sam ignored Josh's attempt to comfort her. She moved away from him and glared bloody daggers at James' back.

"Leave the person that actually _cares_ about you!"

James stopped dead in his tracks. The backpack fell from his grasp as his shoulders began to rise and fall from harsh, heavy breathing. A steady rumbling filled the air as his whole body stiffened and his fingers curled like they wanted to become claws but settled for fists. His lips parted in a anguished cry, and James whirled around to scream, "YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT, SAM?! DO YOU THINK I WANT TO LEAVE!?" He stomped back towards her. Sam didn't say anything but stared back at the fuming werewolf through red-rimmed eyes. "You want to know the real reason I'm on the run, Sam? Do you?! Might as well tell everyone here since you've all so determined to just shove yourselves into my life!" He yelled at the others, who visibly flinched and stepped away from him. James glared at all of them; these strangers, and said, "A month after the attack...after my friends, I-" He choked on his words before continuing "I woke up to turning into a _monster_! I changed, and-and..."

_Blood on the walls. Blood on the floor. Blood on the ceiling. Blood on him. Bert's blood..._

"I can't control it!" He whimpered "The Animal, it just...it just takes over! IT KILLED HIM!" James screamed. As self-loathing and anguish crept into his heart and the corners of his vision, he finally collapsed onto his knees. His voice lowered to a shaky choke as tears streamed down his face. He felt exposed and raw, like an open wound before the world and before these strangers. "I killed the only family I had left! I killed my uncle!" He smashed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, "Goddamn it!" He cried out in anguish and slammed his face into his hands.

Sam brought her hands to her mouth. Everyone in the room stared down at the grieving werewolf with mixtures of shock, horror, and even pity in some cases once the realization of what he said hit. His choking sobs were the only thing everyone could hear in the confined space. James continued to cry. The months of guilt, running, hiding...the pain of what he had become. He just couldn't take it anymore, and it all just came out in a torrent.

Slowly, Sam lowered herself onto her knees before the werewolf. Winding her arms around his back, she brought the grieving man into a tight hug. James's tear-filled eyes, which were now shining a murky orange, widened in surprise and he remained motionless; too shocked to react. Sam closed her eyes and resting her tear stained cheek against his as she tightened her embrace.

"Let me help you." Sam finally spoke into his ear, "Please, James, I _want _to help you. It's all I've wanted to do! I don't want you to leave, especially not now. You were there for me after my grandparents, and I just...you were my shoulder to lean on. You promised that you'd always be here for me. Let me return the favor! Stay! I can help you, James, please!"

"Sam-"

"Promise me!"

After a long pause, James spoke.

"... I promise."

Another minute passed with Sam and James holding each other in their arms; just holding tight without seeming to want to let go. The seven behind them watched on in unsure and unsettled silence. The air was ripe with unresolved tension; something Emily felt the need she had to address. The girl licked her lips and steeled herself by digging her fingers into her palms before speaking.

"This is nice and everything, but I think you two forgot why the rest of us are here." All attention turned to her. Sam looked over her shoulder at her and James' eyes met Emily's. Matt's fingers gently brushed against her hand in a sign of support she was grateful for. Her words seemed to strike something with James because the werewolf blinked rapidly, as if suddenly realizing what he was doing, before gently extracting himself from Sam's arms and rose to his feet. He seemed to pull himself together as he swiped remnants of tears from his eyes and stood straight. Grey-green eyes swept over the other seven teens inside the tiny sleeping quarters. His voice was a choked rasp "I'm sorry. I...I don't know what to do, right now. I...I've never...I don't know what to say to you." James struggled with his words. "I don't want to hurt anyone, but the Animal does." His expression became wracked with guilt and anguish and the tall boy seemed to shrink in on himself. Sam's face became ripe with concern as she took another step towards him.

Then, out of nowhere Josh spoke up, "It could be worse!" He said to James out of the blue, "It could be like that time I set Chris on fire!" Everyone stared at Josh who looked around at the pole-axed expressions with a mildly confused look, "What? Didn't I tell you guys this one?" He turned back to James with a lazy grin that was out of place in the serious atmosphere, "The day before junior year graduation; me and Cochise, here-" He pointed a thumb at Chris, who looked dumb-struck, "Found all these fireworks in my dad's basement. My parents were gone for the weekend and we just decided to light them out back. Let's just say that I misjudged the fuse and how far roman candles can shoot."

"I told you there was a minimum safe distance!" Chris grumbled.

Josh just shrugged at him and said to James, "You ever see a cap and gown on fire? I did; it's awesome!"

"It was not awesome!" Chris rounded on Josh.

"Wait, _that's _why you were late to graduation?" Matt muttered, bewildered.

Silence reigned. Sam looked like she wanted to berate Josh for trying to make jokes, but then James began laughing. Soft chuckles bubbled up from his throat and he covered his eyes with his hand and pushed back his hair. He couldn't help himself because if he didn't laugh he was going to cry again. Things had become so damn ridiculous! Here he was, a runaway werewolf who' just broken down in Sam's arms, and here Josh was trying to make him feel better by telling him how he set his friend on young werewolf looked decidedly amused in a tired sort of way when he looked at Josh with a small smile.

"I got shot by border patrol." He said.

Sam gawked at James, "You said you just fell!"

"I did fall." James said bluntly, "Because he shot me."

Josh's face split into a full grin amidst the vaguely disturbed expressions sent James' way for various reasons, "Gnarly!" He commended, "So, you have, like, super-healing or something?"

"Not the time, Josh." Chris muttered as he covered his face with his hand.

"What? Are you still mad at him?" Josh looked at Chris with an annoyed look, "He said he was sorry."

"Are you forgetting how he tried to kill us?" Chris snapped at him.

"He wasn't in control of himself." Josh slowly turned to look at his best friend. Josh's eyes were slightly glassy, but Chris saw the spark of anger within them, "Things happen beyond our control. Right, Chris?"

Everyone flinched at his painfully calm tone and the obvious implications. Then Josh's mood did a 180 and he turned another lazy smile on James, "Hey, I got a great idea!" He said "Why don't we all get outta this cramped room and go talk things over inside Sam's house, huh?" Everyone, even James, stared at Josh like he was crazy. Josh was talking like the situation at hand was the most normal thing in the world.

"C'mon!" Josh continued, "Sam can make tea!"

"I-Josh, I don't have tea." Sam stuttered automatically. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Josh's mouth.

Josh smiled at her, "Ew." He said

A pause followed those words. Then, James let out an explosive sigh that made a few jump. He ran a calloused hand through his hair and swept his gaze over the group, "Okay, has anyone called the police?" He asked.

"No?" Ashley answered quietly.

"We're thinking about it." Mike muttered darkly.

James shot a glare at him before grunting, "Good, because I'm going inside. I'm starving." And then he walked towards the door. Everyone backed away to make room for him as he passed. James stopped just outside the doorway and shoved his shaky hands into his pockets, "Anyone coming with?" He asked.

"Can we order a pizza?" Josh asked.

James let out a tired, and slightly exasperated sigh, "Sure, Josh. Sure." He told him and walked out of sight with Josh following, and everyone staring after them in astonishment.

Once more, another moment of silence followed.

"Well," Jessica's slightly timid voice piped up "That just happened."

"Um, Sam? What are you doing?" Ashley asked. The tall blonde had just let out a sigh, took out her cell phone, and started dialing a number.

Sam looked up at her with an oddly calm expression, "Ordering pizza, Ashley, because it's the only thing that makes sense to me right now. Anyone else want some?"

Matt slowly raised his hand.

XXXX

It took a while for everyone to finally calm down, but after once things did, the werewolf in question was sitting in an armchair with an empty paper plate in his hand. The others were scattered around the living room in various seating positions, mostly sitting away from James. Three half-empty boxes of pizza sat on the coffee table with an assortment of drinks surrounding it. All watched him with wary and questioning eyes, or just tried to look anywhere else.

The nine of them had been silent, until Chris broke the silence, "Sooooo..." He drawled out of the blue "You're, uh...you're a werewolf." James glowered at him until Chris turned away, muttering under his breath, and scratching at the back of his head.

"Way to state the obvious, Cochise." Josh stated blandly.

James glanced at Josh before looking out the window. Outside, the cloudy sky was soft blue with a handful of wispy clouds that painted a rather mellow picture in contrast to the events of the past 24 hours. It was easier to ponder the emotional effects of weather than think on what was going to be the most difficult conversation in his whole life.

Chris opened his mouth to say something else, but Matt spoke over him, "So, James?" The werewolf tilted his head to aim an eye at the dark-skinned jock. Matt swallowed and asked, "How long have you been like this? You know? A...werewolf?"

For a moment, it didn't seem like James was going to answer. Then, a sigh escaped his lips, and though his expression remained stony, they could see the sudden weariness in his eyes. James' brow furrowed in thought, "Should be…five months now?" He said, mostly to himself. Had it really been only that long? Five months? God, it felt like years.

"So, you were, like, bitten?" Matt followed up.

"Yeah." James bit out, feeling a little uncomfortable. Seriously, what was with all these questions? Couldn't they just leave him alone?

"What about silver?" Josh piped up.

"Yes." James grunted. Then, his eyes widened and he snarled, "Damn it!" Under his breath.

"What is it?" Sam quickly asked.

James' face fell into his hands, "My necklace!" He ground out.

"What?" Mike scoffed.

"It's pure silver!" James snapped at him, "It helps me! Helps-"

_Helped him remember. _

_Punished him. _

_Hurt the Animal. _

"-keep me contained!"

Mike blanched. Chris exclaimed, "Seriously!?" And James just growled into his hands. Then, Sam's soft voice broke through his anger, "James?" He looked up as the girl gently place the necklace in question into his hands. "Last night you dropped this." She muttered. James watched the silver links pool into his palms with the tags clinking on top. His father's name winked back at him, and James let out a shuddering sigh of relief and discomfort as the metal stung his skin. He placed the necklace back around his neck and looked up at Sam, "Thank you." He said gratefully. Sam merely nodded back.

"Wait, so-" James looked up at Matt, who asked, "All that stuff about werewolves and silver...it's real?"

"Dude, are you forgetting how Wolfie here almost killed us last night?"

James stared at Mike and slowly began to rise from his chair, "_What _did you just call me?" He asked lowly.

Mike stared back in defiant anger, but just as he opened his mouth, Jessica grabbed his arm.

"Mike, stop." She said firmly.

Mike balked at her, "Jess-"

"Mike." She repeated, staring into his eyes, _"Stop."_

Mike looked between her and James before deflating, "Whatever." He grumbled. James eyed Jessica as he slowly sat back down. The girl locked eyes with him for a second before looking away.

Josh spoke up, "All things considered, man, we're here for you."

"We?" Chris and Mike said simultaneously.

James grumbled, "You say that now." And cast his gaze out the window again.

"James-" Sam began.

"What do you think is gonna happen the next full moon?" James snapped, "The same thing as last night! Then the one after that, and then the one after that!"

"But, you said your necklace stops it!"

James swung his gaze over to who had spoken; Ashley, who was sitting the furthest away from him next to Chris. James shook his head sadly, "No, it can't stop me from changing, but it slows it down." He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face, "Every time I settle in a new place I set a Cage up for myself. Somewhere secure and away from people, and I make sure it's filled with pure silver. It keeps the Animal trapped."

"Do you have one for here?" Jessica questioned.

"I do." James answered her. He looked at Sam, who was still standing over him and told her, "It's in the storage sheds." Sam's mouth fell open in realization. James looked back at Jessica and said "There's an old storage facility in the woods. That's where I was running to when you all caught up to me. I loaded one of the sheds with silver and other things to help keep me inside when I turn."

"Why weren't you there in the first place?" Emily demanded.

James' frown deepened and he looked away in consternation, "I always start turning towards midnight. At least, I have so far...I don't know what happened last night, but it started early. Very early..." He trailed off as fear-filled thoughts that the Animal was beginning to resist silver filled his head.

"Have you ever...escaped?" The question came from Ashley again, and James shook his head.

"Yes." He answered bluntly. No point in denying it.

"Have you...I mean, besides-" Ashley licked her lips as she tried to ask the question, "...have you ever-"

"Killed anyone besides my uncle?" He finished for her bluntly. His breath came out in a shudder before grunting, "No."

"Oh, well, that's good." Ashley said faintly.

James just leaned back in his chair anf let out a tired breath. God, he was tired. He was always tired the day after the Change, but this was something deeper; and emotional fatigue that had him longing for sleep.

"So, you've just been, what? Going from place to place all this time?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah." James grunted.

Abruptly, Emily threw up her hands and exclaimed, "Okay, can I just say something, here?!" Her voice was sharp and slightly panicked, and it drew everyone's attention, "What happens now? Now that we know that _werewolves _are real? And _you_-" She jabbed a finger at James, "Are a werewolf, and _we _almost _died _last night!"

"That wasn't me-" He began.

"This isn't about you! We can't tell anyone because no one will believe us, and that doesn't even begin to cover the fact that, oh, you are a _wanted man!"_

James winced throughout her tirade, Sam's expression was angry, and everyone was looking around at each other with various expressions. Ashley could even see the divide that was happening. All the people that were against James; Mike, Chris, and Emily were standing further away from the others that were closer to him; Josh, Sam, and Matt. Jessica seemed on the fence, but seemed to be leaning towards supporting him. Meanwhile, she was stuck in the middle; silent against the storm brewing all around them.

"We can help him!" Matt said out loud, "What if we can give him silver and stuff that helps him on the full moon! You heard him; he's been doing this by himself for months, and from the sound of it, he's done a pretty good job of not hurting anyone!"

Emily gawked at him, "Matt, do you hear yourself? Are we suppose to just raid a bunch of jewelry from our house and give it to this guy like nothing?!"

"I'm not asking for anybody's help!" James practically pleaded.

"No offense, dude," Chris told him dryly, "But I don't think I'll sleep well at night knowing there's a werewolf in my backyard."

"Chris, you don't even live around here!" Sam accused.

"Look, I'm just saying!"

"Saying what!?"

Chris gave her a flat look over his glasses, "You're telling me a wolf the size of your truck doesn't scare you?"

"Can we get back on the fact that he's a werewolf and is gonna be _living _here?" Mike interrupted.

Everyone started talking at once with their voices rising higher and higher. Accusations flung, arguments started, and the words got more heated. The only ones silent were James and Ashley with the former having taking notice to how James seemed to curl in on himself as the yelling continued. The paper plate in his hand was crushed as he made a fist, and the fingers of his other hand had stiffened and flexed like they wanted to become claws again. His expression was terse and stony as he faced away from the conversation. His breathing was heavy, he would wince at particularly loud words, and his limbs were shaking ever so slightly. He opened his eyes, which had been closed, so he could stare out the window, and Ashley saw they were orange. Flashes of those orange orbs set in black fur with long white fangs came back to her in a flood.

Abruptly, James shot to his feet, making everyone flinch and stare at him.

"...James?" Sam asked softly.

He stood there for a moment before growling, "I need some air." And walked off towards the door. Everyone watched his large frame stomp outside and onto the porch.

XXXX

Ashley knew that this was going to be her only chance.

She stood up as well, "I need to go to the bathroom!" She said and scampered off into the house to the guest bathroom. The window there did not have a screen and was wide enough to fit a person through. Quietly as she could, Ashley opened the window and got up onto the toilet to stick her legs out one at a time. She tried to just slid off the ledge but lost her balance and wound up sprawling out in the grass with a yelp. When she got up, she found the very reason she was out here in the first place staring at her with a startled expression. After a moment, James just turned away and kept walking away from the house towards the road.

"Wait!" Ashley called, "James, wait!" The werewolf said nothing and kept walking. Ashley groaned in frustration and got to her feet before hurrying after him.

"Leave me alone!" He growled over his shoulder.

She flinched at his tone, but kept following and talking, "I know a way to help you!"

James looked over his shoulder at her and grunted, "Nothing can help me."

"Have you ever tried wolfsbane?" Ashley just blurted out the question.

James stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly, he turned around and looked at Ashley with his brows furrowed in confusion. Aconite, more commonly known as wolfsbane, was a poisonous flower he had researched in hopes for a cure; anything to fight the curse. It had been pointless, however. For one thing, it only grew in parts of Europe and the reason it was called 'wolfsbane' was because it had been used by hunters to kill wolves in ancient times. And even if for some reason aconite just _happened _to be growing somewhere in Calgary, he had no idea where to look.

"What about it?" He asked suspiciously.

Ashley's eyes darted around nervously, "Well..." She muttered, "Have you ever tried anything with it?"

James eyed her oddly, "Well, it's not like I can find any." He said.

"W-well, I know where you can get some." Ashley squeaked. She felt like a small rabbit before a hungry wolf with how his eyes bored into her.

"Where?" He asked after a moment.

"There's a place in town I work at. They sell all kinds of stuff like herbal remedies and teas, but I know for fact they have wolfsbane"

James narrowed his eyes at her and looked around, "Where are the others?" He asked.

Ashley gulped, "I...I didn't want them to know about this." She admitted.

James stared at her, "You snuck out here to talk to me?"

"Yes? Look, I know how suspicious this is going to sound, but I don't want the other's to know what I do for a living."

James crossed his arms and levelled another angry glare at her, "And what would that be?"

"Okay, you got no reason to trust me, I get it, but believe me when I say that I know some people who will be able to help you. They know about things like...like..."

"Like what?" James snapped. He was getting tired of her stuttering.

"Werewolves!" Ashley blurted out, "Werewolves, magic, supernatural stuff! I know they can help you, James!"

James looked her up and down like he was looking for sign she was lying, which she _wasn't. _"Listen," He began, "If you're trying to trick me-"

She held up her hands in defense, "I'm not!" Ashley swore, "I swear I'm not! On my life I am telling the truth!"

James scowled, "And how am I supposed to know that?"

"Can't you, like, hear my heartbeat to know if I'm lying?"

The werewolf stared at her with a flat expression, "No." He declared.

"Oh..."

James groaned and scrubbed a hand through his messy locks. He said "Look...Ashley, was it?" Ashley nodded, "Look, Ashley, I don't have any more hope. I've tried everything I can think of to cure myself. You don't want to know what it's like for me. It...it's hell, and it hurts so much..." He looked at her then with eyes a thousand leagues away, "But the pain isn't the worst part. I like I can feel it inside me. It's alive, and it wants out. It's like being possessed...I hate it. The only thing I haven't tried is blowing my brains out, or wolfsbane. So, with that in mind, I _sincerely _hope you aren't lying."

"So...does that mean you'll come with me?" She asked, motioning to her car.

James sighed shrugged, "I got nothing to lose, and if it doesn't work, you will drop me off at the closest exit out of town."

"But-but Sam-"

"I don't want to hurt anyone, anymore, Ashley." James sighed and stared at the shorter girl with tired eyes, "And I'm out of options."

Ashley swallowed at his exhausted expression and pulled out her car keys. Last night, Sam had been forced to drive everyone back to their cars. Another group decision was made and they all promptly drove straight back to her house to waited overnight for James to arrive. James stepped aside and motioned for her to lead the way, and together, they walked to her car.

"Do the other's even know you're talking to me?" James asked as they climbed into Ashley's beat-up car.

"No." Ashley mumbled, "I jumped out the window. They think I'm still in the bathroom."

"They're going to think that I kidnapped you." He groaned.

"It's not too far from Sam's house." She said "We'll be there and back; promise!"

"Great." He grunted.

XXX

_The Giddings Farmhouse_

Everyone was quiet.

Mike was playing with a coaster on the coffee table, Jessica was staring at the floor with a pensive expression, Chris was on his phone, Matt was trying and failing to wrap his arm around Emily while she glared at Mike and Jessica, Josh was staring off into space, and Sam was watching the front door for any sign of James.

"So..." Jessica spoke up, drawing everyone's attention, "Does this mean vampires are real, too?"

"Oh my god." Emily bemoaned with an eye-roll.

Jessica shrugged, "Werewolves are real. Why not vampires?"

"And aliens are real!" Chris piped up, "And zombies! And ghosts! And the boogeyman! While we're at it, let's get a van and call ourselves the new Scooby-Doo gang!"

"No need to be a dick, Chris!" Jessica berated him.

"I just had pizza with the wolfman. I'm a little frazzled, here!"

"I still say we kill him." Mike said to the group.

"And I say he stays!" Sam instantly disagreed.

"Either that or we can drop him off in the middle of the woods somewhere!" Mike tacked on, "I'm just saying, Sam! He did try to kill us! That's all I'm saying!"

"You know, you're really starting to piss me off, Mike." She said lowly.

"I thought you're a pacifist?" Mike mocked.

Sam glowered at him, "Yeah, and I have half a mind to stop being one if you keep talking."

Mike instantly backed off because _no one _here had seen Samantha Giddings this angry. _Ever. _

Sam sighed and glanced around at the others, "What were you all doing in town last night, anyway?" She asked.

"Talking about you." Emily answered.

Sam levelled a look at Chris, but he held up his hands, "Don't look at me!" He said, "Emily's the one who called us all together!"

At Sam's shocked expression, Emily sighed, "I told everyone to meet up at the place we went to for Beth's sixteenth."

"Why?" Sam wanted to know.

"Because of you!" Emily told her sharply, "First of all, this part _is _Chris' fault."

"Hey!"

"He made us all get together to tell us there's some criminal running around on your farm and you could be in trouble."

"I wasn't!" Sam defended.

"Apparently not!" Emily shot back.

"Sam," Chris spoke up "You gotta admit it looked sketchy from my point of view."

"I didn't ask you to start snooping around my house, Chris!"

"Sam, the guy's a werewolf!" Chris exclaimed, "If we all hadn't gotten together, you would have never found out!"

Sam huffed and looked away.

"Do your grandparents know about this?" Matt spoke up.

Sam flinched, "No, Matt." She said quietly, "They're dead."

Everyone stilled and was quiet for about ten seconds.

"What!" Chris exclaimed.

"Oh my god, Sam!" Jessica.

"What happened?"

"They died a few weeks ago, okay?" Sam shouted to answer them, "I don't want to talk about it!"

"Why didn't you say something?" Matt asked softly.

"What does it even matter?" Sam moaned, "We all aren't friends anymore, remember?"

"Sam-"

"I'm just going to address the elephant in the room, here." Sam said, "Are any of us still even friends in the first place?"

"I don't know, Sam, are we?" Jessica fired back, "Because it sure as hell doesn't sound like you want anything to do with us! You want to talk about elephants in the room?" The other girl stood up and levelled Sam with a hard stare, "You haven't talked to any of us since...since..." She couldn't even get the words out.

"ENOUGH!" Josh suddenly yelled and stood up. Everyone either jumped or yelped in surprise. Josh glared around at all of them with a look of fury on his face, "I think that we all need to take a second and remember something!" He jabbed a thumb against his chest and bellowed at them, "I'm the one who lost them, okay! NOT YOU!"

"They were our friends, Josh!" Matt said, standing up, "We lost them, too!"

Josh rounded on him, "Then why did you do what you did, huh? WHY DID YOU DO IT!?"

Chris got up and moved over to place a hand on Josh's shoulder, but he flinched away, "Don't touch me!" He snapped and pulled away. Josh stomped away towards the door and slammed it shut. Nobody made to stop or go after him. Sam's head fell into her hands, Chris let out a sigh and sat back down, and a miserable silence once more descended over the group.

"Fuck..." Mike muttered.

Tears began to leak from Jessica's eyes. The girl leaned back against the couch and stared at the ceiling, "I never wanted this to happen." She whimpered.

"None of us did!" Emily told her.

"Maybe we would have wound up like this anyway." Mike suddenly said. At all the strange looks he got, he elaborated, "Look at us. Even if Hannah and Beth were here, we'd all eventually go to college, get jobs, and go our separate ways, and we'd all just...drift apart."

Matt shook his head, "Don't be like that, man." He said.

"You're gonna tell me I'm wrong?"

"Well, we're all here, aren't we? Let's maybe try and do something about it! We all fucked up, and Hannah and Beth are gone. Yeah, I said it! We all fucked up big-time." He looked around at the faces of people he had counted as close friends and went on, "But do you really think that they'd want us to be like this? Sam, if I'd have known about your grandparents, I'd have been there in a heartbeat, and I am _so _sorry. They were awesome people and I'm going to miss them."

Sam's throat tightened and she swallowed, "Thank you, Matt." She said quietly.

"Your welcome." Matt said and turned to Chris, "Chris, man; you're Josh's best friend. I know it probably isn't easy helping him, but I know for a fact you weren't even part of the prank, but Josh acts like you were. Stop beating yourself up, okay? The same goes for you, Sam!"

Emily opened her mouth, but Matt was on a roll. He looked between her, Jessica, and Mike saying, "And I think I speak for all of us when I say we feel like crap."

"You're not wrong." Mike said with his head bowed. Jessica's fingers wove into his and he glanced up at her with a small smile which she returned.

"Do I wish I could go back and change things? Hell yeah I do. I wish that we'd never gone through with it. I wish we'd have just watched movies in the theatre, got drunk, and had snowball fights. Instead, here we are. Sam, you were right. We were friends, once, but we're fucking miserable now. Can we at least try to fix things? Even if we can't go back to the way things were, at least we tried! So...so, yeah." He sighed and pursed his lips together as no more words came to mind. He glanced at Emily, "That's my love and friendship speech."

Things were quiet once more after that, but there was a certain weight to it as they considered Matt's words.

After a minute, Sam got up, "I'm going to check on Ashley." She said, "She's been in there a while."

Chris blinked at the realization, "Yeah, it's been-" He glanced at his phone, "Fifteen minutes?"

Sam quickened her pace to the bathroom and knocked on the door, "Ashley? You okay in there?" She called. No reply came. Sam frowned and knocked again, "Ashley?" No sound was heard from within. Sam went to jiggle the handle, but was surprised to find it unlocked. She opened the door and stared in shock at the sight of the open window. She walked over to it and peered out. No sign of her. Or James for that matter.

"What's wrong?" Chris asked when she came back into the living room and saw her expression.

"Ashley's gone! The window was open and there's no sign of her or James!" She said as she walked by him towards the front door.

"What!" Chris exclaimed and followed her outside.

The other's shared startled glances before getting up to follow them out onto the front porch.

"James? Ashley?" Sam called.

"She's not answering her phone!" Chris said in surprise.

"Where's her car?" Jessica asked and pointed towards the parking lot. Josh's car was gone, but Ashley's hoopty was nowhere in sight.

"Where are they?" Mike wondered, looking around the sunlit grass for any sign of them.

A strange sense of dejavu overtook them. The six of them standing outside and calling for two friends that had up and vanished.

"You don't think...you don't think James took her, do you?" Chris asked aloud in a frightened voice.

"No!" Sam exclaimed.

"Well, then why are they both gone?" He demanded.

"Well, no use standing around. I'll drive." Jessica suddenly said and hurried down the steps.

"Hey, wait up!" Chris said and followed.

"Jess, what are you doing?" Sam called.

"I drive a minivan, Sam. It can fit all of us! Now come on!"

"Here we go again." Emily grumbled as the others stampeded off the porch. However, she was right behind them.

XXXX

_Ashley_

Ashley Brown didn't think she was strong. Academic? Yep, she loved her books and aspired to be a writer one day! Inquisitive? She was the first one to raise her hand in class and the first to ask questions. Forthright? Screw beating around the bush and get right into the meat of things! Never strong, though. She'd been born an only child and came from a simple family that moved twice before settling. She'd grown up in a house along a stretch of road in the woods. There had been few neighbors and no one she could really make friends with until she got into school. She was a shy girl at first; jumpy and just wanting to fit in and make friends, and she did, eventually. When her and Chris met, they just sort of...clicked. He'd been smart, funny, and they bonded over everything nerdy. They went together like pancakes and syrup! She liked him, she really did, but she never seemed to have the guts to tell him how she really felt. There were times where she felt like he felt the same, but she didn't want to risk it. Josh had been cool and she'd gotten along with Hannah and Beth pretty well, but she mostly went wherever Chris went. She didn't regret it, though. Parties, outings, eventually Sam's farm where she became a part of an actual group of friends, and finally...the lodge.

She had never liked it on that mountain. The constant snowfall, the deep woods, the way the whole house creaked and groaned in the wind, how spooky the place was at night, and she always had the feeling she was being watched. She disliked Blackwood Mountain even more now since it's where Hannah and Beth died. She'd held out hope for the longest time that they'd come back alive, or at least their bodies would be found so the occasional sliver of hope would be crushed by closure. At the time, the prank had seemed so innocent. Hell, their whole group had been a bunch of pranksters! It was like their 'thing'! They'd always play tricks or prank one another! One time, they plastic wrapped Mike's whole car overnight, and the look on his face when he walked outside had been priceless! Another time, Chris rewired Matt's car so that pressing the gas pedal honked the horn. Josh once replaced Beth's plain yogurt with mayonnaise, but she got revenge by hooking his bedroom doorknob up to an outlet so that it zapped him every time he tried to open it. They had all loved pranks...everyone except Hannah. Hannah had always been weird about the idea of pranking in general; She shied away from being a part of any prank, joke, or trick whatsoever, and absolutely despised being on the receiving end. She remembered when, on the day of sophomore year, they dropped a water balloon on her from the second story as she was coming inside and she actually broke down in tears and didn't speak to any of them for a week. It was harmless fun! It wasn't like they put hair dye in her shampoo bottle (Jessica had been _pissed)_, but after that day, no more pranks for Hannah Washington...until the lodge last year. Ashley been so caught up in the prank that she never stopped to consider just what exactly they were doing. What they did to Hannah was just plain mean. Hannah ran out of the lodge, Beth followed her, and the dark and creepy woods swallowed them up. Sometimes she'd cry, when the guilt and dismay became too much. Sometimes she'd just shut down. Her parents tried to help ease her pain, but they didn't understand. She tried booze and drugs to numb it, but nothing had worked. That was okay, though, because all of those failed attempts had set her on a path that lessened the heartache. Admittedly, it had been the knowledgeable words of three wise women and the time spent with them.

The Three Crows was a tiny building that sat on the furthest end of the street. The wooden frame had an aged to a dark brown-gray, and lining the smudgy windows were small shelves filled with jars of incense, bottles of spices, chunks of crystals, and dream catchers on display for all to see. Ashley parked at the end of the sidewalk, and when they got out, they stared at the humble structure across the street. James frowned at it while Ashley fidgeted as cars passed them by and they stood there in silence.

"This place sells wolfsbane?" James suddenly asked, making her jump.

"O-oh, yeah!" She answered, "They sell a lot of things; believe me." James nodded but frowned harder. Her phone dinged with another text from Chris asking where she was for the tenth time.

James didn't look away from the building across from them when he said in a tone of voice that shook slightly, "I hope this works."

"I think it will." Ashley said, truthfully.

When they entered, they were immediately hit with the overwhelming aroma of incenses and spices. It was enough to make James cough and wave a hand about to clear the air and pull his shirt over his nose.

"What's wrong?" Ashley asked worriedly.

James waved at his face "I have a sensitive nose."

"Oh." Ashley chuckled sheepishly.

The interior was a bit dim with the only lighting being lit candles and a few old bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Handcrafted shelves made from slabs of pine aged cedar tables dotted the shop, all holding a variety of strange and unusual commodities. Small books, what looked like shrunken heads, tiki masks, totem poles, and strange looking bottles. Dream catchers hung from the ceilings, swaying in the air as if an invisible wind was blowing through them.

_"CAW!"_

The pair ducked as a very large crow swooped over their heads and landed on the countertop. The bird hopped across the aged wood and watched them with beady, black eyes.

"Ugh!" Ashley groaned at the bird "God, Madus! Stop doing that every time I walk in!"

James watched with raised eyebrows as Ashley walked right up to the feathery critter and began to scratch the back of the bird's neck. The curtain of beads hanging from the entrance behind the counter parted and an elderly, dark-skinned woman in a dress of bright colors step out. Large silver bands hung from her wrists and her hair was knotted in dreadlocks.

"Ashley!" The woman boomed with a thick accent. She took notice of the bird on the counter and narrowed deep brown eyes. "Oi! Get of te counter, bird! Shoo! shoo!" She yelled, flapping her hand at the bird, who cawed and flew up to the rafters.

"Hi Eralia!" Ashley said with a smile slightly and turned to James, "This is Eralia Jones, one of my bosses." She introduced her.

James offered a slight wave and before looking up at the crow, Madus, perched over his head. The way the crow was staring at him set James on edge. There was far too much intelligence in those black eyes as Madus cocked his head to watch him. He was also confused as to why this bird wasn't flying around in a panic. Didn't all animals hate him?

Eralia spoke heartily when she saw James staring, "Dun't mind him, none; te bird wun't bite. Most he does is shit on me merchandise." Ashley giggled, but James remained silent.

"So!" Eralia said, leaning on the counter, "What can I help ya wit?"

Ashley licked her lips anxiously and glanced at James who nodded his head for her to speak, "Well, Eralia, I need some wolfsbane." She said simply.

"Wolfsbane? Why?" Eralia asked, looking slightly suspicious.

"Um..." Ashley started, "Just, uh...this is going to sound crazy, but-"

Eralia held up a bangled hand and stopped her cold, "Gurl, I know you long enough to know when sometin' wrong." Her eyes narrowed in concern, "What is it, child?" Ashley said nothing. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her eyes darted to James and Eralia followed her gaze with a slight frown. She stared at the other boy as if just noticing them, then she almost seemed to do a double take and peered at him with a look so intense, James felt like the woman before him was staring into his very soul.

Then, Eralia's eyes bulged and she stiffened, "Oh..." She whispered, "Oh, _child_..." Eralia's words were rich with shock and sorrow. Her bangled hands twitched like she wanted to reach out to him, but she stopped herself. It was then James realized that her eyes were not on his face, but on his shoulder. More specifically, his scar.

James felt all the blood drain from his face, "You know!" He murmured in shock. He clutched where the bite-mark lay under his shirt and took a step back, "How?" He hissed.

Eralia and James' eyes didn't leave each other. They were both in a kind of shock; each transfixed by the other. After a moment of silence, Eralia nodded slowly like she was coming to a resolve. "I see." She said and took a deep breath, "Well, I see why you came, Ashley. You should have come sooner." There was a subtle hint of reproach in the woman's tone.

"Ashley?" James called over to her, "What's going on?"

The girl gulped, "So, that thing I don't want my friends to know about? Well...I-I'm kind of a witch." She said the words quietly, and a bit shakily. She had never told anyone in the group. Not even Chris knew. It wasn't exactly a subject that came up in a conversation.

James' eyes widened and expression deepened into a startled frown, but he did not take his eyes off Eralia or move his hand from his shoulder. Eralia's eyes were piercing as looked over the two of them before she stepped back and pulled apart the bead curtain behind her with her arm and motioned past, "If you wish for help, come. We can assist you, but I offer only once." She said this while looking directly at James.

James went very, very still. He stared at the woman with eyes so wide they reflected the soft candlelight around him. At least, Ashley hoped that's why there was a faint glow to them. "You..." He croaked after a moment, "You can _help _me?" His voice was quiet and desperate and his eyes were filled with hope and fear, like a starving man being offered food by a stranger for the first time in weeks.

"We will see." Eralia told him somberly. She looked at Ashley "Your friends still do not know te' truth?"

"I haven't told anyone." Ashley admitted with a quick shake of her head.

"You need to, soon, girl. You can not hide 'dis foreva."

"But-"

"People fear what 'tey do not understand." The words came from Eralia. Her dark eyes were narrowed, "I feel you will need to tell 'dem after 'tis. Come; we talk more inside."

Ashley saw how James hesitated in that moment and the myriad of expressions that warred across his face. Confusion, fear, hope, sadness, anger, worry; all things Ashley could understand and relate to. Slowly, she stepped in front of his line of sight. James looked at her, and she couldn't help but flinch at how his eyes seemed almost manic. He was overwhelmed; the morning's events alone had made him loose control over his emotions and she had seen how close he'd come to snapping again at Sam's house. Was Ashley afraid of James? Yes, she was. He was very intimidating to begin with, but now that she knew what he could become under the moonlight? Something that she never truly believed in, despite her mentors words of wisdom? If she could keep that thing from appearing again...well,she'd jumped at the chance to bring him here, hadn't she?

"It's gonna be okay." Ashley licked her lips when he frowned at her, "You can trust her! I do. Eralia's a good person, James."

The girl was beginning to remind James of a startled deer. She looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice, but she was still here and trying to make eye contact while simultaneously trying _not _to make eye contact. He felt his expression relax slightly. This girl was scared of him, of that he had no doubt, yet she offered a chance to help him. He was wary of the circumstances, but if there was the slight chance of a cure...

Months of running, starving, fear of being caught, running from place to place, and the agony he experienced under moonlight played out before his eyes and he let out a great sigh. He was tired, oh so very tired. "Lead the way." He grunted.

Ashley jumped slightly, but nodded and the two went around the counter and walked past Eralia, who let the beads close behind them. The three of them walked down a dark hallway decorated with ceramic skulls and taxidermied critters such as snakes, foxes, bobcats, and even a bear at the end of the hall on its hind legs. Walking past the bear through a doorway, they entered a room adorned with red hanging-curtains and black velvet furniture. Various potted plants were growing by a large window towards the back. An electric chandelier hung over a round poker table of all things in the center of the room, and a shelf full of old and worn books sat off to the side. Two women sat inside. A stout woman with a round face and black hair done in loose pigtails sat at a desk in the far corner with her gaze on the screen of an old computer and typed away without sparing them a glance. The other one, an older woman with pale blonde hair lounged in an old recliner smoking a cigarette holder and reading a magazine.

Eralia cleared her throat and said, "Gurls, Ashley is here. She's brought someone."

"Is it that Chris boy?" The blonde woman asked and flipped a page in her magazine.

"Uh, no Viranica." Ashley mumbled sheepishly.

"Pity." Viranica said dismissively, still not looking at them.

Ashley opened her mouth to speak but spared a glance at Eralia. The woman's expression was hard and resolute, and she nodded to her. Ashley girl cleared her throat and gestured at the tall boy beside her, "Um, Viranica, Waupun, this is James. He needs our help."

Viranica looked over the edge of her magazine at them through horn-rimmed glasses with mild interest while Waupun merely spared a glance at them from the computer-

-And shot out of her chair when she saw James.

The woman's eyes were practically bulging out of her head as she steadied herself on her feet and pointed a shaking finger at the werewolf. Viranica started at Waupun and glanced back and forth between her and James with blue eyes narrowed in confusion. She did not see what Waupun and Eralia had and was looking just as bewildered as Ashley. James, on the other hand, had that panicked look in his eyes again and was clutching at a part of his shoulder like he was in pain.

"...Well." Viranica said slowly after a long silence. The woman tilted her head to stare around everyone, "This just got interesting."

XXXXXX

_**Massive revisions were also made because as this was being written, me and Ultimate Survivor hit a major block in the middle of the chapter and went back and forth on how it should go but eventually just got tired of staring at a blank screen and fighting through writers block. Interest was lost unfortunately, but it kicked back into high gear when the idea of wolfsbane was brought up. **_

_**Speaking of the story, we are almost out of the 'Before Dawn Arc'! Blackwood Mountain is coming soon, and with it, the main story Arc. Lots of elements in the game that go unnoticed are going to be used to full effect. The overall native American lore of the game is going to be touched upon as well. We have plans that are going to rock your socks off.**_

_**It is a lot of fun adding more depth to the characters and adding depth to their personalities and we both hope that you do too. For instance; Ashley is a witch! This idea spawned from a line by Chris during the Ouija Board in Chapter 3. He says: "Ashley, since you're a recent convert, why don't you be our medium for today?" **_

_**A convert? What did she convert to? In this universe, Ashley started dabbling in Wicca after the sister's death. She isn't going to start casting spells or actually talking to ghosts in the story, however. The idea of the 3 Crows (Eralia, Waupun, Viranica) came from Ultimate Survivor. You probably won't see too much of them after this, however. We want to give an outside life to Ashley (along with everyone else) and this just happened to play out the way it did. **_

_**Also, to those who have been reading this and are wondering about my other Game of Thrones story, Winter Wolf, I just want to make a note here and let those of you wondering no that I have not been in the story. The next chapter is proving a pain in the ass to write. I've hit some major writers block with it and am trying to finish it as soon as possible, but the new job I have is taking up a majority of my time and I really don't have enough time to write my stories as much as I'd like to, but I'm trying. Please have patience, I want to finish these stories as much as you do. Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you next time!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8: Hope_

_James & Ashley_

The five of them sat around the poker table. The three witches sat across from him and Ashley, with the werewolf the center of all attention. Eralia regarded him gravely while Viranica examined him with a curious eye. Waupun just stared at him silently and unblinking. The Native American woman had not said a word this entire time.

Eralia spoke up, "You are the first Wolf to stand before us in over a decade, James Steele."

"There are others?" James asked, slightly shocked and a little afraid. Then again, why should he be? It made sense; he'd been bitten by one, after all. He'd been focused on his own survival that he never considered the existence of other werewolves.

"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright. That is how the saying goes." Viranica spoke up. The woman's voice was lazy and rich but held a sharpness at the end of her tone. She struck James as someone who liked to get straight to the heart of matters.

"Der are few left in te' world. Some are born. Some bitten, like you." Eralia said and pointed at his shoulder, "I can see te' mark of teeth and claw and smell te' blood like it was fresh." James gulped and idly rubbed at the scars there. Eralia continued, "Many live in secret or solitude. Some roam the land til te' day they die." Like he'd been doing for nearly a whole year, James realized. Eralia looked him over and asked, "What do you seek to gain from us, young Wolf?"

"Can you cure me?" He blurted out with the desperation clear in his tone, "Ashley said you have wolfsbane. It's the only thing I haven't tried!"

The answer came from Viranica. She blew a cloud of cigarette smoke into the air and eyed him through the haze before saying four words that nearly broke him.

"There is no cure."

They were like a hammer blow to his gut. James had been leaning forward and fell back in his seat, hard. All the air exited his lungs in a sound of dismay.

Ashley's eyes became wide, "But you said that wolfsbane can-" She began, but Viranica cut her off.

The older blonde looked at Ashley over her glasses, saying, "Ashley, dear, have you forgotten our teachings? Aconite is a poison first and foremost. Its very nature is of death. Poisons cannot be cures, girl." The blonde woman said crisply. She looked at James with blue eyes that were like a hawk's; steely and sharp.

She asked him, "Where is the one who bit you?"

"I don't know." Said James numbly.

Viranica looked him up and down before settling on his neck. She stretched out her hand, palm up, "Your necklace, if you please." James briefly touched his hand to the metal before taking it off and placing it in her cupped fingers. The older woman weighed it in her hand for a moment before declaring, "Pure silver." She passed it to Waupun, who stared at it for a moment before handing it back to him. "You can kill yourself with that." Viranica told him bluntly.

"It keeps me under control." James' voice was still distant as he slipped it back around his neck.

"Under control, he says!" Viranica sniffed, "Those who cannot tame the beast lose their minds and become wild and feral."

"Tame it? You can't tame it!" James snapped, anger bleeding through. If there was no cure, then what was the point of even being here? He stood up from the table and walked straight for the door. He was leaving.

"Did we say we cannot help you?" Viranica's voice drifted over to his ears.

Slowly, James turned to see the three witches and one nervous looking Ashley watching him. "You said there's no cure." He growled.

"I also said Ashley has forgotten her teachings." Said Viranica, "Wolfsbane is a poison, and in our work, poisons cannot be cures...but they can do other things. They can slow, dull, suppress...do you understand?"

James became as still as a statue.

"You are not te' first wolf to come to our door seeking help." Eralia spoke softly. James eyes snapped to her as she continued, "Der was a man who came here for te' same reason; safety from the beast inside his skin. We had no cure for him, but ter' was something we could give."

Waupun stood from the table without a word and walked over to a large chest in the back of the room. She opened the lid with a creak and dug around inside before pulling out a small bundle of dried purple flowers wrapped in twine. James watched her move over to a small table in the corner, and with careful and steady hands, snapped off a single flower and began gently plucking each of the petals one by one.

"What is she doing?" He asked quietly.

"Waupun is a medicine woman." Viranica answered, "She will always help those in need. Just as she helped the last Wolf who stood where you stood."

Waupun gathered the petals into her hand and placed them into a small, cloth string bag. She cupped it in her weathered hands, brought it close to her mouth, and began to whisper so quietly that not even James could hear what she was saying. It sounded like she was chanting something in another language. Whatever it was, it stirred something inside of him that he could not understand. When she finished, Waupun turned and walked across the room to stop before James with the bag outstretched like an offering. James' expression was dumbstruck as he looked back and forth from the bag to Waupun. The woman's hard features did not soften in the slightest, but James felt the care in her touch as she reached out to gently take his hand. What was even more surprising was the wave of calm it brought, and he did not resist as she placed his palm over the bag and curled his fingers around it. When James held it, she took two steps back and watched him with her large, dark eyes. James' breath was ragged as he beheld the tiny, brown pouch in his hands. The seam parted and his sensitive nose picked up the smell of the dried petals. He felt the Animal recoil from a mere waft of the flowers, and he was left speechless.

Slowly, he looked back up to the three witches.

"Thank you." He managed to get out.

Viranica spoke up, "When the full moon rises, you must eat one petal every hour. No more, no less. Eat too many and it will kill you. Each grants you an hour of humanity. We have given you six petals for six hours. That should last you until dawn, no?"

_**XXXXX**_

James was white-faced when he walked out of the 3 Crows with Ashley trailing behind him. She stopped when James did at the edge of the curb and stared off into the distance, silent as the grave. Slowly, she approached his side and looked into the werewolf's face to see his eyes slowly travel down to the pouch clutched loosely in his left hand.

"James? Are you okay?" She asked softly.

James let out a shaky breath and looked at her, "I don't know." He answered.

She honestly had no idea how to respond, but James opened the avenue of conversation for her.

"So..." His voice was soft; brittle, almost, "You're a witch. Like them?"

"Um, sort of." Ashley replied hesitantly, "I'm still learning, and I've haven't chosen my Craft yet."

"A Craft? Magic?"

Ashley's fingers twisted themselves into knots. She'd never spoken to anyone about this, save the people inside the building behind her. Being asked so directly threw her off balance. "S-sort of." Ashley stuttered, "Waupun is a medicine woman, Viranica reads runes, and Eralia practices Voodoo. I haven't really decided on what I'll do."

James' tone seemed very far-off, "Magic is real." His other hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose in the same motion she'd seen her father do when he was over-stressed from work, and he let out a bitter chuckle that made her uneasy, "Of course it is. Monsters exist, why not magic, too?"

"James?" She asked quietly.

James glanced at her through his fingers and visibly sighed, "I'm sorry." He said. "It's just...will this even work?" He said and gave the small bag in his hand a glance.

Ashley answered honestly, "I don't know. I wasn't here for the werewolf they were talking about, but if Waupun says something will work, it works. Even if she didn't say anything." Ashley tittered slightly, "She knows more about herbs and remedies than I ever will."

James was quiet for a long time. The two of them just stood there on the sidewalk, a witch and a werewolf; two entirely different beings from different walks of life connected by a simple string of convoluted events and misunderstandings. When James spoke again, his whole body seemed to sag, and it was then Ashley saw just how tired he looked, how sad his eyes were when he looked at the pouch of wolfsbane like it was the only thing keeping him rooted to the ground, how his voice held hints of exhaustion and desperation, and she suddenly sympathized with Sam's desire to help this poor boy.

"If this works...I could live a normal life. As normal as things could get." James sighed, and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, saying, "Ashley, look, I'm...I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what happened last night. When I turn into that _thing, _I'm gone. Everything just goes black. Hurting someone is my biggest fears and I am so, _so _scared during a full moon. What happened last night was a nightmare for me, too. I... I just want you to know that. For what it's worth."

Ashley was taken aback by the heartfelt admission. She glanced off to the side while tugging on the sleeve of her denim jacket. The fear was still there, fear of the monster that had chucked a tractor through a barn, but just like James did, she had to separate the two. The person standing before her was just that; a person. So, she swallowed her fear and stretched out her hand.

"Well, for what it's worth, apology accepted." She said to him with a small smile.

James looked from her hand to her face with surprise. Then, slowly, a smile of his own blossomed and he took her much hand in his and shook. "Thank you." He said, earnestly.

"Your welcome." She replied.

Her phone buzzed for the umpteenth time and she winced.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

She took out her phone and winced even harder. Her inbox read twenty-two unread texts and eleven missed calls. Most of them were from Chris. "I've kind of been ignoring everyone." She said with a grimace as she read through them all and underwent the process of responding to every single text.

James let out a groan, "Let me guess; they think I kidnapped you, didn't they?"

"Not really?" Ashley tried.

James rolled his eyes, "Great."

"Look, I just don't want anyone to know I'm a witch, okay? Not even my parents know!"

"Why?" James had to ask.

She shuffled in place, "I just don't want things to get weird between me and the others. This place?" She gestured behind her at the Three Crows, "It's the real deal. I don't want anyone to think I'm a freak…" She trailed off while rubbing her arm.

James sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was only real freak around here as far as he was concerned. Personally, he could care less what Ashley did in her spare time, but he could understand her wariness in opening up to people about an aspect of her life people might find…odd.

"Why go in the first place?" He asked a moment later before they fell into another long silence.

She muttered, "This is going to sound crazy…"

He gave her a _look_.

Ashley winced and sighed, "Right. Okay…do you believe in fate?"

"I, uh…I don't know. Never really considered it." James answered honestly.

"Well, I do. I believe I was meant to come here. So much happened and I was lost and alone…but then I wound up here, and those ladies inside pulled me out of a really dark place. Looking back, it was like everything that happened to me pushed me to be here. It's like it was meant to be." She sighed and looked up at him, "That's why I say fate."

They stood there in another strange silence that was broken by Ashley's phone ringing from another call from Chris. The girl winced and tugged at the front of her beanie when she pulled it out. "Well, I should probably answer, now, huh?" She said in a small voice.

James felt a jolt of annoyance run through him, "You shouldn't have left without calling in the first place!" He growled. How long had they been gone? An hour? Two? The others had probably called the police by now, fuck a promise!

Ashley winced at his tone and looked away just before she answered the phone. "Hey Chris…" She muttered into the phone and then flinched from the amount of noise that exploded from the other line. James let out a frustrated breath through his nose as his temper slipped further and further. He did his best to tune out Ashley giving half-hearted explanations to what sounded like the whole group on. James began walking away while pinching the bridge of his nose to keep all of his anxiety and anger from boiling over, but underneath all of that was a bitter, bitter disappointment at the fact that there was no cure. There was no cure, just more prevention. For what felt like the hundredth time, he found himself asking why? Why did this happen? Why can't he find peace? Nothing would bring his life back to the way it was before. He felt the hope slipping out of him like blood seeping from an open wound.

"James?"

Nothing could stop the monster living inside him.

"James?"

His name finally registered, and he pulled himself from his inner turmoil to look at Ashley. The girl was watching him warily with her keys in her hand, "I'm going back to Sam's. They're waiting for us. Are you…are you coming back?"

For a moment, he wanted to say no. Part of him just wanted to get the hell out of this town and find somewhere far away to live the rest of his life alone, but the weight of the wolfsbane in his hand and the thought of Sam pulled him from that line of thinking. He shrugged at Ashley and began walking towards her car in silence.

_**XXXXX**_

The drive back to the farmhouse was quiet. Ashley didn't bother filling it with the radio or pointless conversation. Both of them were in a mood that made the sunny day seem dim and gloomy. They pulled up the gravel drive and parked next to Jessica's dark blue minivan. Ashley couldn't believe the blonde hadn't totaled that thing yet, let alone was still driving it. She shut her car off and let out a long breath. James remained still and silent with his heavy frown the only indicator of his mood.

They got out together and made their way up to the house.

When they opened the front door and walked into the living room, they found everyone minus Josh sitting in the same place they left them. A few stood up at their arrival, but none as quickly as Chris.

"Ash!" He just about cried out and hurriedly got to his feet at the sight of Ashley. The girl seemed to shrink in on herself under the weight of everyone's stares while James avoided their confused and accusing looks, especially Sam's gaze. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on the small pouch gripped in his hand.

Ashley swiped a finger under her blue beanie, "Hey Chris." She said in a small voice, "I-"

Chris crossed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, effectively cutting off whatever she was about to say. Her big hazel eyes went wide in surprise and her slim arms soon wrapped around his broader torso. Chris went on a rant about how worried he was, asked about what happened, why she hadn't answered anyone's calls, where they had gone to, and in a quieter tone that James still heard anyway, Chris asked if he had hurt her. Ashely fervently denied it of course, but the fact that Chris thought so little of him made James' lip curl in a scowl. Just what kind of person did they think he was? What did he have to do to get it through their thick skulls that he didn't want to hurt any of them? He wasn't some psycho! He wasn't…wasn't…

_**Wasn't a monster?**_

But that's exactly what he thought of himself, wasn't it? Maybe they were justified to think as much after all.

"Hey."

James looked up as Sam's voice washed over him. The girl stood just before him with her eyes two emerald pools of concern. They flicked him over from head to toe, pausing once on what was in his right hand. A moment passed before she asked him, "Are you okay?"

James opened his mouth to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. He swallowed hard and said, "I don't know."

"Sooooo…" Drawled Jessica. When all eyes turned to her, she continued with, "Are we gonna know where the hell you two went or what?"

All eyes went back to the witch and the werewolf. Ashley seemed to choke on air and utter a few garbled half-sentences. When nothing came out, she shot a pleading look at James who, when he finally noticed it, frowned heavily at her as if to ask, "Are you serious?" Her big eyes boring into his confirmed this, and James let out a low groan in annoyance and scrubbed a hand down his face, much to the bemusement of the other eight people in the living room. He took a moment to mull over his words and force down his annoyance and exasperation of having to be put on the spot.

"Ashley took me to find a cure." He said flat out.

What do you know, another heavy and awkward silence! He seemed to be the cause of a lot of those recently. At this point, he couldn't bring himself to care.

All eyes flocked back to Ashley. Chris, who had finally let go of the short girl, looked from her to James and back again with increasing confusion. "What?" He blurted out. It was a thought shared by the rest of the group it seemed, judging from all the bewildered expressions.

"Uh…" Ashley stuttered, "I…I-"

"Oh my god, don't tell me you're a werewolf, too." Was Emily's deadpan assumption.

"What? No!" The girl exclaimed.

"You have a cure?" Sam implored him with wide eyes.

James hefted the drawstring pouch for her to examine, "This is wolfsbane." He spoke to Sam, but let his voice carry so they all heard him.

"Where did you find wolfsbane?" Sam asked curiously.

"What's wolfsbane?" Matt asked out loud.

"It's a flower. A poisonous flower." Sam answered for the benefit of the group. She suddenly leveled a wary look at James and asked, "What do you have to do with it?"

"I have to eat it. One petal every three hours. Apparently, it'll keep me from turning every full moon."

Right before Sam could begin ranting about how ingesting anything poisonous was beyond stupid, Mike piped up with, "And you know this how?"

James glowered at him and said in a dry tone, "A couple of witches told me."

"Wait, what?" Sam recoiled.

"You have got to be kidding me." Jessica deadpanned.

"…Plot twist." Muttered Chris.

Emily's face fell into her hand, "Just so you know, I was kidding about adding more supernatural stuff." She bemoaned to no one in particular.

James shrugged at her, "Sorry."

"Like, actual witches?" Matt asked with wide eyes.

James nodded solemnly, his eyes downcast as he remembered the three crows, "Yeah. Actual witches."

"Where the hell did you find witches?" Mike demanded, thoroughly alarmed.

James opened his mouth to speak but paused. Why was he still explaining? He looked to Ashley, who had been silent this whole time, and asked, "Ashley?" The girl winced and looked at him. He motioned to her with a hand saying, "I can't explain everything." Part of him felt bad for throwing her to the wolves for lack of a better term, but she was the reason they were in this situation in the first place.

For a moment, it looked like she was just going to remain silent, but then the redhead sighed and muttered, "I know."

Chris looked from him to her with his brow furrowing behind his glasses, "Ash, what's he talking about?" He asked with a hint of concern behind his confusion.

The girl audibly swallowed, closed her eyes, and spoke in a small, tentative voice, "I work at the Three Crows, Chris…" The girl continued after a moment, "I figured it'd be obvious, but no one ever said anything…"

Chris stared at her, uncomprehending, and blinked rapidly as he spoke his stuttering thoughts, "Wait, are you…are you saying that you…you're a witch?"

Slowly, Ashley nodded an affirmative.

"Whoa, that's, uh…kind of cool, actually." Chris said, a bit stunned at the revelation, "You said you were just working there part-time?" The blonde boy said with a frown.

Ashley shrugged, "Yeah, well…I got a lot more than I bargained for."

"The Three Crows? That little hippie place downtown?" Jessica scoffed with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not a hippie place!" Ashley felt the need to defend.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait…" Mike said. His eyes went from Ashley to James, "Let me get this straight. So, you…you're a witch?"

"Yeah." Ashley mumbled.

"Like, _witchy_ witch?"

"I…guess?"

"And you gave him," Mike pointed at James, "Magic flowers?"

Ashley pursed her lips, "Okay, I didn't give him the flowers. My teachers did, and they-"

"I give up." Mike said and fell back in his seat.

"So, what, you can do _magic_?" Asked Emily. The disbelief was heavy in her voice, "Like Harry Potter?"

"I _practice _magic, Emily." Ashley responded defensively, "And just so you know, I _don't_ sacrifice babies or worship Satan like I know you're gonna say."

Emily leaned back and gave Ashley a look at her snide tone of voice, "I wasn't going to say anything." She stated.

"Yes, you were." Ashley affirmed.

Emily narrowed her eyes at her and leaned forward, "Um, _no_ I wasn't."

"You always do." She grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The Asian girl asked in a sharp voice.

"Well, let's start out with how _maybe _I didn't feel like getting picked on if I told anyone!" The redhead fired back and turned away.

"Ash, why would you think that?" Chris instantly asked.

Ashley shook her head and crossed her arms like she was hugging herself. She stared at the floor for a long time before she shrugged, "I guess…I don't know."

"Oh, no, no, no; you don't get to just go off on me like that and not have anything to say about it." Emily said in a falsely sweet voice and stood up, "And before we get back to the elephant in the room-" She jabbed a thumb at James, who just blinked at the designation. She walked forward in front of the coffee table and stood nearly in the center of the room so that everyone could see her, "Let me guess, Ashley? This is about the Prank." At Ashley's stricken expression, Emily continued with a sneer, "Of course it is. Everything comes back to the Prank, doesn't it? It's why Hannah and Beth are gone." She turned in place so that her eyes passed over the rest of the group as she spoke, "It's why me and Mike broke up." Mike looked away when their eyes met, "Why me and Jessica aren't friends anymore." Jessica held her stare with an unreadable expression, "Why Sam acts like she hates us."

"Emily, I don't-"

Emily spoke over Sam with the same firm and matter-of-fact tone of voice she'd started with, "_And_ it's why Josh left! So, _Ash,_" She rounded on the girl again, "What's your beef? It's obviously with me because I started the prank! I'm the bad guy everyone loves to hate! So, what's your problem with me?"

Ashley stared at Emily like a deer in headlights. She wasn't the only one. Everyone except James was staring at the abrasive girl with varying degrees of shock and outright worry in Matt's case. None of them had ever heard Emily talk like this ever before.

"I…" Ashley faltered. Emily's crossed arms and hard eyes had her trapped and she couldn't look away. After a moment, she let out a breath and began, "You really started to pick on Hannah because she had a crush on Mike. You weren't the only one. Jessica? Matt? You guys really gave her crap about it, too."

"Yeah, that's because Mike was _my _boyfriend and Hannah would not stop pining after him." Was Emily's firm response.

"Emily, she wasn't pining!" Sam defended the memory of her best friend.

"Sam, even when we were together, she wouldn't stop making passes at him!" Emily declared at the blonde, "How long had she been crushing on Mike, Sam? Years. _Years! _There were plenty of guys willing to go out with her, but she didn't want anyone else but Mike! I even had a talk with Beth about it, and she agreed Hannah needed to back off! It was starting to freak me out!"

Sam blinked, taken aback.

"Sam?" Came Mike's voice. When she looked over to him, he nodded almost sheepishly, "She's not lying. I mean, part of why I went along with the prank was that I hoped it would get her off my back."

"Oh, come on, Mike; she wasn't clinically obsessed with you!" Sam said with an eye-roll.

"She kinda was." Matt spoke up.

Sam opened her mouth to speak but paused when she saw the varying expressions that said otherwise to her belief.

"Come on, guys, this is Josh's sisters we're talking about here." Chris muttered awkwardly.

"So?" Emily blurted out. Her face was suddenly cold and angry, "They're people, too, Chris! Just like us! They weren't perfect! What happened to them was terrible and it was our fault, but…" Emily became quiet when she spoke next, "None of us wanted them to be gone."

"Emily…" Ashley began, not knowing what to say.

Emily closed her eyes and motioned over her shoulder at Matt, "I'm not good at this. You missed Matt's love and friendship speech; he does it better."

"It was a pretty good one." Matt said with a small smile, but his brow was furrowed in concern for his girlfriend, "Emily? Are you okay?" He asked.

Emily waved him off, "Matt said what we all want; we all want things to go back to the way they were before, and I'd like that. I'd like that a lot. I mean, hell; we find out werewolves exist, and all we keep talking about is our friendship." She leveled a look at the werewolf in question, "Thank you, for stirring up all this drama by the way. I haven't talked about my feelings this much since I went to my therapist."

"_You_ had a therapist?" Jessica asked, bewildered but not unkindly.

Surprisingly, Emily just shrugged instead of snapping and said, "My parents said I needed one."

Jessica blinked, "Huh, me too." She admitted quietly.

Emily pointed at James, "See what I mean? Drama!" She declared.

The werewolf held up his hands in apology, "I don't mean to." He grunted neutrally, completely unphased by Emily's comments.

Emily huffed and turned back to Ashley before she could go off on another tangent, "My point is, Ashley, is that I don't care that you're a witch. Seriously, I could care less. I'm just annoyed that you and him just up and disappeared. And why the hell did you go out the window?"

"I was trying to be sneaky?" Ashely tried.

"Well, you failed, and you got us all worried. Hell, we were out searching the road for the two of you and were about to call the cops when you called us back."

Both James and Ashley winced. "I'm glad you didn't." Ashley said.

Emily sighed and looked over at James who locked eyes with her and didn't look away. The two evaluated each other for a moment before her eyes fell on the wolfsbane. "So, let me get this straight." She drawled, "Those magic flowers. They do what exactly?"

James shrugged, "Her bosses told me that if I eat them, it keeps me human during the full moon."

Emily's eyes narrowed, "And how do you know this will work?" She asked.

"I can tell." James grunted.

"How?" She demanded.

"I just…can, okay? It's hard to explain." James said with a noise of frustration. He ran a hand through his hair and fumbled for an explanation they would understand, "I can…sense it. I can feel the Animal inside me get weaker just from the scent." He lifted the bag so they could see, "It's even stronger than silver. I've never felt anything like this before, and it makes me feel…human. I feel more human than I have in a long time." James glared at his hands and tightened them into fists, "I don't know if I'm making sense, but…I think this might work."

"And if it doesn't?" Asked Mike.

James gave the other boy a sidelong glance, "Well, I built a Cage."

Mike scoffed, "Dude, I watched you pick up a tractor and chuck it at Josh like a softball last night. A metal box doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."

James went white at Mike's words, "I…I did _what?_" He gasped.

"You followed us to the old barn towards the back of the property." Sam informed him softly, "You…you followed us inside. You found Chris and Ashley hiding under the tractor, then Josh pulled out a gun and started shooting at you. Everyone started running and screaming, and…well…"

"A_ tractor?!"_ James demanded incredulously.

"Like a softball." Mike repeated solemnly, "It would have been kinda cool if we weren't, you know, running for our lives." He said with a shrug.

James looked utterly horrified. He looked around at everyone before settling on Chris and Ashley, "I…I'm sorry!" He rasped.

Chris and Ashley shuddered at the memory of when their cover had been lifted away and the werewolf's shadow loomed over them. Chris exhaled through his nose and looked at James. Part of him was afraid of the guy. The things he had seen him do was something out of a movie, and the events of last night had cemented that fear in his brain. Chris didn't think he could ever be comfortable around James Steele, but the expression of honest remorse and fear on the guy's face made it hard to hold a grudge. Chris offered him a shrug, "Well, it's like you said; you weren't in control."

"I'm not." James affirmed with a shake of his head, "I'm never in control no matter what I do." He gave the pouch a glance and frowned heavily, "And I'm going to have to wait until the next full moon to test if this will even work."

"Well, let's hope it does." Chris said ambivalently.

Things got silent after that as the want for conversation seemed to fade away. They were all still very unsure and some were still scared, but a general understanding seemed to settle over the eight. The air wasn't as tense as it was before, even though there was a lot of thoughts running through everyone's mind.

Then, out of the blue, Matt was struck by a question he just _had_ to ask.

"How much can you even lift?"

The question had everyone looking at the football player oddly. Matt just shrugged and asked, "What?"

"What does that have to do with anything relevant to the conversation?" Emily asked, bewildered.

"It was just a question!" Matt said defensively.

"Really, Matt? How much can he _bench? _What kind of question is that!?"

"I'm just curious!"

"Uh…" James uttered, a little thrown by the question, "I don't know?"

"It's gotta be over three hundred at least." Matt said speculatively, "You know, I got a bench-press back at my house. If you want, you can come over, and-"

"Matt!" Emily berated in an exasperated tone of voice.

"What! What am I doing?"

"Have you ever heard of reading the mood, Matt?"

"…Yeah?"

"Read it." She growled.

Matt held up his hands in surrender and looked away. He and James locked eyes and the dark-skinned teen offered him an apologetic shrug, "Sorry." He said.

"No, it's okay." James said. The guy seemed so genuinely curious and intrigued by the thought that James couldn't find anything to be offended by.

"So…" Mike called out, "Is that it?" All eyes turned to him. Mike stood up and adjusted his jacket, "Look, I want to go home. We all do. We've been here all day and we're exhausted. All I want to know is are we going to trust the magic flowers to keep Wolfie over there from going savage next month?"

James leveled a sharp glare at him, "Do not call me that." He said in a tone that brokered no argument.

Mike ignored him, "I also know Sam is going to keep us held hostage here until we're all cool, sooo…" He raised his hand with a tired breath, "I propose that he stays here so that we can keep an eye on him until his next time of the month. All in favor say aye!"

James stared at Mike, blinking at his sheer audacity. Before he could get a word in, Sam held up a hand, "Aye." She said, then in quieter tones, told James, "Just let him get it out of his system; he still has these class president moments."

Everyone else looked around at one another for a moment, and then, Ashley raised a hand, saying, "I'm okay with him staying."

Chris looked back and forth between Ashley and James before sighing and holding up a hand, "Aye." He said flatly.

"Sure." Jessica said with her arms crossed.

"Yeah." Matt agreed with a head nod

Last but certainly not least, was Emily. The girl gave him a once-over before she shrugged, "Whatever. I just want to go home. No offense, Sam, but Mike's right. I kind of have stuff to do."

"Meeting adjourned!" Mike said in a falsely cheery voice, "See, Sam? We're all cool with him. We're not going to turn him in and we're just gonna leave him alone. Sound good?"

"Wait, what about Josh?" Chris asked.

"Is he here?" Mike responded and looked around to prove his point, "I don't see him. Besides, he seems to like him." Mike shrugged. He looked at Sam, "Sam?"

"You guys can leave any time you want." Sam said with a sigh, "I'm not going to keep you here?"

Mike looked at James, "Wolfie?"

A muscle in James' jaw twitched. Now Mike was just pushing him. James still had half a mind to go over there and sock him, but he stopped himself. He didn't want to fight or argue anymore. Today's events were wearing on him like a ton of silver; all he wanted to do was collapse onto a bed and let the peace of sleep take him. James just closed his eyes and shook his head, "I don't care at this point." He told Mike.

Mike eyed him for a moment before he looked at Jess, who was watching Emily as she walked back over to Matt, "Jess?" He asked and stuck out a hand for her to take. The blonde shrugged and took it, "Might as well." She said, "I do need to get home, anyway."

The couple stood and looked around at everyone else. After a moment, Mike said to all of them, "You know, this isn't the reunion I imagined, but…better late than never, I guess?" He gave them all another once over before offering them a small wave, "I'll see you guys around. Maybe" He hazarded. A few of them offered him goodbyes as he turned and left. Jessica departed in a similar fashion; a quirk of the lips and a quick wave before flouncing after Mike.

The others followed soon after. Everyone just wanted to go back to their homes and be alone with their own thoughts to digest everything that had happened. That, and the fact James still made them uneasy. The memory of the previous night would be seared into their brains until the day they died. Ashley only stuck around for a moment longer to remind James that if he needed or wanted anything else, the Three Crows would be open to him. James himself felt uneasy at the thought of the small shop and the three witches residing there. He felt raw in that place; vulnerable. It wasn't a feeling he liked. However, he thanked Ashley and bid her and Chris goodbye along with Mike and Emily.

When the door closed for the final time, James found himself alone in the house with Sam. He turned to where she sat in the armchair by the widow and they locked eyes. She offered him a small smile but didn't say anything. James sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "So…" He grunted after a moment, "I guess I'm staying."

"Yeah." Sam said, "I guess." Her tone was mild, but her wry smile was reassuring. James shuffled over to her and leaned against the windowsill. He stared out at the striped yellow and brown square of flat land where the wheat had been harvested a week prior. The cloudy sky heralded the oncoming snow, and he'd felt a chill settling into the air. Winter had come slow this year, but now the season of ice and snow was winding up to bury them. From the reports, this was going to be a cold one.

"This has been one crazy December." Sam said after another minute of quiet stretched on.

James' following sigh made the window fog up and he nodded, "Yep." He rumbled while watching the steam slowly dissipate.

"Everyone is talking to each other, now, apparently. Without killing each other" Sam added dryly.

James brow furrowed as a thought hit him, "Where did Josh go?" He asked her.

Sam frowned at the memory of him storming out and answered with, "He left after you did. Things got…heavy."

James shook his head and looked back down at Sam, "For what it's worth? I'm sorry. Emily's right when she said I keep causing problems. I-"

Sam held up a hand, "First of all, she said you cause drama, not problems. Secondly; stop." She turned more in her seat to look at his confused expression, "Stop apologizing all the time. It's not like you purposefully stir things up."

"I feel like I keep causing problems, though."

"Sometimes things happen that beyond are control. You showed up in town, we met, I recognized you and told Chris, and everything just…snowballed. You didn't make anything happen, James. It's just chance. I don't know." She shrugged a shoulder, "I do know werewolves exist, now, so that's pretty cool."

James shot her a look, "It's not cool." He said seriously, "Even if I can't remember what happened, I can sure as hell guess that I was terrifying."

Sam pursed her lips. Part of her wanted to tell him the exact events of what happened last night, but how could she explain? What would she even say? That he hadn't hurt her? That he'd allowed her to touch him? That even as a monstrous wolf, he'd recognized her? She knew what he thought of himself now, and she doubted he would believe her if she told him. He'd think she'd be trying to make him feel better or outright lying. Instead, she just said, "Yeah, you were pretty scary, but we're alive, right?" James grunted, but didn't respond, instead seeming content to stare out the window. Sam got up from her chair and stood next to him, "What are you thinking about?" She asked.

He shrugged, "What I'd be doing if this never happened to me. I never knew what I wanted to do for a career. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a fitness trainer. Then, I thought maybe something with business, but I'd probably have wound up with a blue-collar job."

"I want to be a conservationist." Sam said, "I want to be out there saving animals and forests! I've already gone to college for it, but instead I'm stuck here on a farm. Talk about low expectations."

"At least you're not a monster."

Sam frowned, "You're not a monster, James." James opened his mouth to disagree, but Sam reached out and gently took his chin in her hands. His stubble tickled her fingers as she turned his head so that she could stare into his eyes and she repeated herself in a firm voice, "You are not a monster. If you were, I wouldn't be here right now."

James looked away, "Sam-"

"Listen to me." She said softly, "I can't begin to imagine what you've been through, but I want you to know that you're safe here."

"Safe?" James let out a little laugh that bordered on the hysterical, "Nowhere is safe for me, Sam."

She reached out and grasped the hand that held the wolfsbane, "You're not alone now. This time, you have hope."

James eyes suddenly looked anguished, and in a move that surprised her, he pulled her into a hug. Sam was initially surprised at the contact, but only for a moment. She relaxed into the warmth of his body and strong arms. and inhaled in the scent of him; a mix of earth, hay, and the musky undercurrent that was _James_ that relaxed something inside her.

They stayed like that for a long time.

_**XXXXX**_

Time moved on. The days passing by brought winter's chill and snowfall that seemed to double every day, and every day that passed brought James closer to the full moon. Despite everything that had happened, Sam and James had grown closer together. James truly cherished the young woman's companionship and acceptance of his monstrous nature, and he vowed that if the wolfsbane worked, he would stay by her side for as long as she'd have him.

The others stayed true to their word and kept silent. Not a word was breathed about the werewolf, except amongst themselves. Ironically, James' involvement in their lives had brought the estranged group together again. They were talking to one another more frequently and actively reaching out to each other. Case in point; Josh and Chris. The two of them were on regular speaking terms again and were even hanging out like they used. Sam even found herself talking to the others more often as well. Their rekindled interactions were a surprise to them all, but not an unpleasant one.

Two weeks passed in relative peace with not only the full moon looming ever closer, but Christmas as well. What was more, conversation of a Christmas party had been brought up to Sam by Josh. Matt had apparently offered to host one at his house this year if anyone wanted to come. James was also invited as well. When Sam told him as much, the werewolf was more than a little wary of the concept. He hadn't been to a party in a long time. Honestly, he'd rather stay in bed and sleep than go. He doubted he'd even have fun anyway. However, every time Sam asked what his decision was, he only said that he was unsure rather than saying no.

The night of the full moon came in the blink of an eye, and this time, there would be no interruptions.

_**XXXXX**_

_James_

Night was creeping and the moon had yet to rise. Even though he still had plenty of time before he should be caged, James was out early. There was something he had to see for himself.

The darkening sky cast the decrepit barn in shadow and the trees surrounding the open field resembled a wall of silhouettes that created a very ominous atmosphere. James' boots crunched the frosty grass as he walked straight up to the barn and stopped at the entrance where the double doors were splintered and leaning off their hinges. It was obvious they had been broken open and looked like they could fall free at any second. James shivered as a stiff breeze blew across the field and made the doors creak against their twisted hinges. He pulled his jacket tighter around him and let his gaze travel across the way to where the crumpled form of a rusty tractor lay broken outside of an enormous hole in the barn. Bits of rotted wood and splinters were strewn around the old machine, and like the doors, it wasn't hard to guess that the tractor had caused the hole.

James let out a shaky sigh and walked inside the darkness of the old building. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and the dusty air made him sniffle. A brief look around showed him the old stalls and moldy remnants of hay strewn about the floor, along with the clearer section of the dusty floorboards that resembled the outline of a tractor's tires. This was where Chris and Ashley had hidden from the Animal. James slowly walked over to it and glanced from where the tractor had sat to the gaping hole letting in faint light. How much strength did it take to lift and throw a tractor with enough force to go through a wall? The thought made him shudder. His eyes roamed over the barn and stopped on a pillar that was covered in large scratches leading all the way up the length of it. He walked over to the beam and idly traced his fingers along a section of familiar claw-marks. Yeah, those were his. Had he chased someone up there? If so, then who? James shook his head. He'd found what he came here for and it was time to leave.

When he stepped back out into the cool dusk air, he exhaled a breath that came out in steam. The stars were beginning to peek through the dark blue sky and James smiled. One thing he'd never take for granted was nights like this where so many stars could be seen. He heard the sound of tires moving across the earth and turned to see the headlights of Sam's truck creeping closer. She'd offered to give him a ride to the Cage and dropped him off at the place where he'd chased them per his request. James needed to see it, partly because of morbid curiosity and the other part being Mike's voice running around inside his head. Mike had been right; James had no idea what he was capable of. Now that he did, well, he was surprised that he'd kept himself contained for this long.

As he approached the truck, Sam stepped out to meet him between the headlights.

"You okay?" She asked.

James shrugged, "I don't know." He said honestly, "I didn't know what to expect when I came out here, but…" His voice trailed off and he looked back at the ruined barn with a troubled expression.

Sam recognized it as the look he wore just before he began brooding, "Hey, we're okay, now. Stop dwelling on it, okay?" She said gently.

James sighed and looked back towards her. The truck's headlights turned her blonde hair golden and cast odd shadows about her face that drew attention to her luminous green eyes that never failed to remind him of spring. Suddenly, warmth pooled in his chest and he unconsciously took another step forward. He longed to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her fiercely. He wanted to feel how soft her hair was under his fingers, wanted to…

"Whoa." Sam suddenly breathed and took a small step back, "Are you okay?"

She sounded worried, and that cleared the random thoughts clouding his mind like fog, "Huh?" He asked, confused.

"Your eyes are orange." Sam stated softly, peering into the eyes in question.

James blinked and rapidly shook his head. His necklace tingled against his skin; not enough to be painful, but enough to warn him that the clock was ticking. Realization of what was happening had him taking a step back from the girl in front of him looking visibly distressed.

"I'm sorry." He said, "Are they back to normal?"

"Yeah. What was that about?" Sam asked. Her own eyes were searching his curiously.

"I need to get going." He said, "Thank you. For this and…everything."

"You don't want me to drive you the rest of the way?" Sam asked. There was a tone to her voice he could not place.

"No thank you. I…it's…I'd just rather go myself." He said awkwardly. Right now, James didn't want her anywhere near him. Not only would he risk placing her in danger again, but he suddenly found himself afraid of the almost magnetic pull she had on him. He could feel the Animal stir from its month-long slumber and begin influencing his thoughts and stimulating his senses. This close, the scent of her was overpowering. She smelled of the outdoors, whatever herbal shampoo she used, and the underlying scent of _Sam _had his eyes dilating and his heart quickening. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of the previous full moon where he had lost himself to his instincts and came-to looming over Sam with his arms encasing her.

For a moment, it seemed as if Sam was going to disagree, but at the last minute sighed and nodded, "Okay." She said, then asked, "You have the wolfsbane?"

"Right here." James said, lifting the pouch.

"Good." She said and rubbed at her arm. He could tell she was cold. He could see her soft, pale flesh shivering in the chilly night air. A part of James suddenly told him to go wrap the female in his arms and bundle her with his heat against the cold. The urge was so strong that he caught himself lifting a leg to move towards her but firmly stomped it back down and felt his face flush with embarrassment.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." James answered while not looking at her, "I'll be fine. You should get going. I can tell you're cold."

"Okay." Sam answered, sounding unsure, "But I just want you to know that even if this doesn't work, you're always going to be welcome. Nothing's gonna change, James."

He looked at her then, as her words made a lump form in his throat and his eyes feel wet. After a moment, he spoke, "You have a heart of gold, Samantha Giddings." He said seriously.

To his surprise, Sam actually seemed to blush and look away, "Thank you James." She said in a low voice. The seconds that passed were agonizing for James. The air felt charged in a way he couldn't describe and there was something he wanted to do, then; something that was echoed by the Animal instinct coursing through his body.

Which was why he stepped away.

It was hard to do so, but he told himself it was the right thing to do. He would not be influenced by the Animal, no matter what it made him feel. Sam looked up at him with an expression that seemed part frustrated and part relieved. After a moment, James grunted, "I'll see you in the morning." Without looking at her.

"Goodnight, James." Sam said in a soft voice.

As the sight of Sam's truck grew dimmer and dimmer, James let out a sharp sigh, "What the hell are you doing?" He asked himself bitterly.

His necklace tingled against his skin in response, and the young werewolf turned and jogged into the darkness.

_**XXXXX**_

James closed the door and shut it behind him with a loud creak of twisted metal. Several lengths of chain and locks came next to keep it shut. James hissed as his arm brushed against a silver spoon he had hung from the ceiling with fishing line. The moon had begun to rise and was calling out the Animal, so silver burned him properly, now. Fortunately, the change seemed to be back on schedule; the time was close enough to midnight.

"Now or never." Thought James as he brought forth the wolfsbane pouch. The first pangs of the Change hit and he gritted his teeth. James forced his shaking fingers into the pouch and pulled out one of the dry, violet petals. Such a small thing; it was so brittle that James felt he'd crush it if he wasn't careful. Doubt struck him, then. How could something so small ever begin to help him? Then, his hypersensitive nose picked up the smell of the flower. For a moment, the Change seemed to pause as the Animal qualied once more at the faintly bitter scent. James gritted his teeth and crammed the petal into his mouth without a second thought. Poison or not, anything that keep the Animal at bay was good for him, and if it killed him, he'd take the monster with him!

The petal itself tasted very bitter, and James forced himself to chew and swallow. He nearly gagged on the dry petal as it went down his throat and soon began to cough and gag as a burning sensation erupted in his mouth. Just when he thought he was going to vomit, the burning turned to into a numbness that spread from his mouth and down his throat. James couldn't feel the effects of the Change anymore; there was no pain. Hell, he couldn't feel much of anything, right now. The numbness was spreading into his stomach and throughout the rest of his body. James began coughing and collapsed to his knees before falling onto his side. He suddenly felt so weak that he didn't have the strength to stand. The dust and dirt of the floor must have been cold against his cheek as he lay there coughing and inwardly panicking, but he couldn't feel it. Everything was numb and the weakness was spreading. It wasn't that he was paralyzed; he had no strength in his body and could barely move!

It felt like an eternity when it was over in less than a minute. Just as his vision began to go black, the numbness suddenly vanished, and the coughing stopped. James sucked in huge breaths as the strength began to bleed back into his limbs. His whole body ached as badly as it did after a full moon, and for a wild moment, James thought that was exactly the case. The werewolf jerked in place and struggled to get up into a sitting position. When he realized that nothing had changed, a deep sigh escaped him. That had not been fun at all. James scrubbed a hand across his face and shook his head before glancing up at a sliver of moonlight peeking in through a crack in the entrance. The moonlight touched James' skin, and he felt…nothing. Absolutely nothing. His breath caught in his throat when the realization hit him.

He was still human!

He had not changed

The wolfsbane had worked! He…he was free…

He was free!

Driven by a sudden desperate impulse, James scrambled to his feet and undid the locks on the door. His arms still felt heavy, but he didn't care and tore off the chains and threw it open. James fell through and hit the concrete hard. He winced through pain that did not fade as quickly as it usually would and looked up into the sky at the pale orb shining above him.

Nothing happened.

No pull, no pain of silver, no animalistic urges; nothing!

James began to laugh. It was disbelieving at first, but soon turned raucous and joyful that gave way to tears. Relief, anguish, happiness, fear, and a dozen other emotions poured out of him in a tidal wave.

No howls greeted the moon that night.

Only the tears of a soul who had finally found hope after he had gone for so long without it.

_**XXXXX**_

_Sam_

She'd been upstairs, unable to fall asleep when there was knock at the door. Sam jumped when it happened, and the second she'd gone downstairs and saw who it was, she all but ran to answer it because standing on the front porch was a very human James.

She pulled the door open and stared at him. It was well past midnight and he was pale and shivering. He looked tired, but there was light in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"Hi, Sam." He said through chattering teeth, "It worked!"

Sam gaped at him, "Really?" She gasped.

"Y-yeah." He said, "It's also really cold out. I'm, uh, not as warm anymore." He said with a sheepish expression, "Can I-"

Sam all but dragged him inside.

An hour and two mugs of hot chocolate later, she and James were sitting by the fire as he ate the second petal. She watched with mounting concern as he swallowed it with a grimace and began coughing. She moved to help him, but James weakly waved her off and slumped against the couch still coughing and panting for breath. The fit passed a minute later, and James leaned forward and declared, "God, that sucks." He shot a weak grin at her, "But it works."

"Jeez, I thought I was going to have to give you the Heimlich." She told him.

James grimaced and shifted to lean forward again, "It's not as bad the second time around."

"Still doesn't look fun."

"Better than transforming." James said and closed his eyes, basking in the warmth of the fire.

Sam had never seen him so relaxed before. He seemed less guarded, less cautious and more open. It was like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Which, Sam thought as she observed the werewolf, was an accurate comparison.

"I'm going to need to talk to Ashley." James said, "Tell her that it worked. I'm going to need more. Even if I have to learn how to _grow _the stuff, I'll need more."

Sam snorted, "Does that make Ashley your dealer, now?"

James snorted himself.

"So, what are you going to do now?" She asked him a moment later.

"I don't know." James said, "Live properly, I guess?"

"The others will be happy to know." Sam said, "We should make it official. Maybe go to Matt's Christmas Party?"

James cracked open a tired eye to look at her, "You think so?" He grunted lightly.

"Why not? Its only a week away. Everyone's gonna be there. You don't have to, but I haven't hung out with all of them in…a long time." Sam sighed and stared into the crackling flames as her mind flashed back to happier days before she pushed them away and refocused on James, "You don't have to go, but I'd like it if you did."

James grunted in indecision and stared at the fire. After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Okay."

"Really?" Sam said, surprised. She had fully expected him to say no.

"Well, they were almost killed by a werewolf. I think they'd be happy to know it won't be bothering anyone anymore."

Sam smiled at him as her happiness redoubled.

Eventually, Sam fell asleep while James stayed awake through the night eating his petals one by one until the morning came and the moon was no longer a threat. She found him passed out on the couch with the empty pouch of wolfsbane clutched loosely in his hand and snoring like a chainsaw. He looked terrible and slept into the afternoon, and when he awoke, he was starving and thirsty, but he seemed happier than she'd ever seen him. And that, Sam thought to herself, was good enough for her.

_**XXXXX**_

_James & Sam_

James was quiet as they rolled up to Matt's house. It was a nice place; a big, two-story house in the middle of town in a small development. The boy's parents were out of town for the holidays, and Matt took full advantage of that prospect to act on his desire to bring their group back together again. Judging from all the other cars parked in the driveway and along the curb, they were the last ones to arrive.

"Wow." Sam commented as they got out, "Looks like everyone actually showed up."

"You sound surprised." He commented. Together, they walked up to the front door and came to a stop on the WELCOME doormat.

Sam shrugged, "First time everyone's willingly hanging out since the girls disappeared? Yeah, I'm surprised." She chuckled, "Now, let's see if everyone hasn't killed each other already." She said before ringing the doorbell. Matt answered a moment later, letterman jacket on full display.

"Sam!" He exclaimed in surprise. His smile was wide, and he looked genuinely happy to see her. The smile changed into surprise again when he saw him, and he tacked on, "And James! You guys actually came!"

"Yup!" Sam said with a small smile, "We did!"

"Well, come on in!" Matt said and stepped aside to allow them entry.

The party was rather tame as far as parties go. There was music playing in the background, there were drinks and bowls filled with various snacks. Josh and Chris sat on the floor in the living room playing video games on the widescreen while Ashley sat on the couch cheering Chris on. Emily sat a ways away from her and was content to block out the rest of the world and tap away on her phone. Mike and Jessica were in the kitchen and on the verge of a make out session.

Sam stopped dead in her tracks when she saw this. Everything looked so…natural. All that was needed was Beth jeering at Josh and Hannah taking pictures and selfies with everyone and it'd be just like old times. Josh turned around from his spot on the floor and grinned when he spotted them, "There they are!" He said loudly. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at them. Sam offered a small wave, "Hi guys." She said, suddenly feeling a bit shy, "Merry Christmas."

"And a happy new year!" Josh said and took the opportunity of everyone's distraction to reach over and jerk Chris' controller so that the car he was playing crashed into a wall.

"Dude!" Chris exclaimed in utter betrayal.

Josh laughed and stood up, "Sup James!" He greeted.

"Josh." He responded and looked around at the other's, "Everyone."

"He's not going to try to eat us again, right?" Mike called from the kitchen.

And just like that the lighthearted mood that had been forming tensed. Everyone's eyes were on James as he stepped forward with eyes narrowed and stared down Mike. For a moment, he said nothing, then he called out, "Don't worry, I don't eat junk food."

Matt snorted.

Mike stared at him, baffled, "Was that supposed to be a comeback?" He asked, half-cocky and half-serious.

"Don't mind him." Emily piped up from her place on the couch, "He's just mad because he can't get any tonight. And, no, it isn't because it's his time of the month."

"Burn!" Chris called out.

Mike rolled his eyes, "Oh, whatever." He said and went back to drinking out of a red solo cup. Jessica rolled her eyes and offered the two of them a slight wave in greeting.

Matt came up behind them as they walked further inside and said to James, "I have a strictly no-sex rule in my house. Sorry."

"It's fine?" James responded. Understandable, but why was Matt apologizing and why was Sam glaring at him?

Ashley's voice piped up next, "So…the wolfsbane worked, then?" She asked James who nodded.

"It did." He said with a small smile, "I'm going to need more, though."

"Dude, that's great!" Josh said and clapped James on the shoulder, "This calls for a celebration!"

James blinked, a little flat-footed at the enthusiasm.

Sam stepped up behind him, "Um, Josh, I don't think-"

"Don't worry Sam; already gotcha covered!" Josh said, "Crown Royal and a splash of sprite, right?"

Sam blinked as it was pressed into her hands and looked at Josh in surprise, "You remember my favorite drink?" She asked, more to herself than anything.

Josh's grin widened, "Anything for the bestgirl!"

"I thought I was bestgirl!" Chris whined from the floor.

"Chris, do you even know what bestgirl means?" Ashley asked him.

Chris waved a hand, "Semantics." He replied.

"Of course I did!" Josh answered her with a smile, "Merry Christmas, Sam."

Sam smiled right back, wide and genuine, and pleased Josh seemed to be doing well, "Merry Christmas Josh." She responded.

"What about you, big guy?" He asked James, "Pick your poison! We literally have one of everything here and I love to bartend."

He'd never been a big drinker, so James was caught a bit flat-footed by the question. After a moment of floundering, he spat out the first thing that came to mind, "Jack and coke?" Josh gave him a pair of finger guns and walked off into the kitchen to begin fixing the drinks.

Sam looked at him and nudged his side, "Ready to have fun?" She asked teasingly.

"Are you?" He shot back.

Sam rolled her eyes, "Oh, please, I'm the life of the party."

Chris' head whipped around so fast that James swore he heard it crack. His smile was ear to ear and positively evil as he looked at Sam, who, when she saw him looking back at her, widened her eyes in horror and said in a warning tone, "Chris…"

Slowly, Chris pulled out his phone and waggled it in her direction, "Oh, you're the life of the party, are you, Sam?" He crooned.

"Chris, don't you dare!" Sam said and stepped forward, but Chris pressed a button on his phone and said, "Play Sam's favorite song."

Whatever music had been playing died and was suddenly replaced by Ke$ha.

"_Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy~"_

"Nooo!" Sam cried out as Chris got up and began to dance towards her, "I hate this song!"

Ashley started giggling, Emily just watched him with an eyebrow raised in judgment, and Matt began laughing. Then Josh came out of the kitchen with as evil grin of his own and strutted to the beat over to Sam and James with drinks in hand. "Come on, Sam, this is your favorite song!" Josh said over the music while handing off the drinks.

"Turn it off!" Sam ordered.

That was when Josh and Chris began to…dance? It could be called that, while mouthing the lyrics and dancing around Sam. Sam, it seemed, had given up on life and was staring off into the distance with a placid expression. It was enough to make James burst out laughing.

Maybe, just maybe, tonight wouldn't be so bad after all…

_**XXXXX**_

The party passed by in a blur. Not that James was drunk, but the experience of being in a real party after so long surrounded by different people doing different things had come as a bit of a rush. He'd mostly kept out of the festivities and either kept to himself and Sam but engaged with anyone who wanted to talk to him. It was much more fun watching the beer pong, which Jessica won, a round of karaoke that lasted about five minutes because no one could sing and watching a new movie that Josh's dad came out with.

Now, everyone was asleep or on their way to dreamland. It was good thing everyone was spending the night. James sat alone at the kitchen table idly drinking out of his cup. Sam was half asleep while the movie played onscreen and cast flickering lights inside the foyer. James had found he could not fall asleep and headed into the kitchen for a glass of water. He'd had more than a few that night but suffered no intoxication whatsoever. Must have been a werewolf thing. Still, he'd drank nothing but caffeine and alcohol all night and was thirsty

"Everyone looks so happy, don't they?"

James blinked and looked over as Josh stumbled up behind him. Josh seemed to have awakened from his drunken stupor and sidled up to James to grab the bottle of crown and poured himself a shot. James took note of his expression and flat tone of voice and frowned himself. The last of the Washington siblings had seemed pretty upbeat and happy for most of the night, but now he looked frankly annoyed. Angry, even.

"Sorry about the bet thing. It was Chris' idea and he wouldn't shut up about it." Josh said blandly and downed the shot.

At some point during the party, Josh, Chris, and Matt pulled him away from his conversation with Ashley about getting more wolfsbane and brought him down into the basement where they proceeded to explain their bet that since James was a werewolf, did some of the supernatural strength bleed over into human form. Chris had said that he was somehow superman while Josh was just in it for the laughs. Matt was there for curiosity's sake. Usually, James would have found himself annoyed at this, but the spirit of the evening had gotten to him and had obliged them. Too be honest, he had never really tested the limits of his abilities and wanted to see for himself. The three boys then proceeded to stack all the weights they could fit onto the bar and let him have at it. What they discovered was that without his necklace, and if they had thirty more pounds on the bar, James would have broken a world record.

Josh had seemed all for it at the time, so to hear him talk like this had James blinking in surprise.

"It's okay." James reaffirmed.

Josh chuckled derisively and leaned against the counter and stared out into the living room. The two of them were the only ones in the kitchen, and the TV was loud enough so that no one would hear them. James poured a glass of water from the sink and drank deeply. All the while, Josh's eyes were locked on the group. His expression was dark.

"I think my sisters would have liked you." Josh said out of the blue.

James paused midway in refilling his cup and looked at Josh, "Yeah?" He asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Hannah would have been all over you. Beth was cool with everyone she met. They'd be freaked out by the whole 'werewolf' thing, but since that's taken care of, they'd be cool with it." Josh said with a lopsided grin and a chuckle. Josh's eyes were glassy, and his smile seemed fragile, "But they're not here." He said quietly.

"Josh?" James called softly.

"How do you deal with it?" Josh suddenly turned his head and asked him in a desperate tone of voice, "Your friends and your uncle? How they died? How do you deal with it, man?"

James froze from the line of questioning. No one had ever asked him something so direct before. Kelsey, Max, Gabe, Brock, Jonathan, Bert…he hadn't thought about the manner of their deaths in a while, now. Just the thought of them was enough to make him shudder as the blood-soaked memories came crashing forward. Truth be told, he had never really dwelt on their deaths. Instead, he had turned all his emotions inward; focused the rage on himself at first, but when that wasn't enough, he hated the monsters that took them. One was the one who'd killed his friends and cursed him, and the other was inside him.

"I…" James floundered for an answer. He had no idea what Josh was going through right now, but he knew he had to give an answer, "I used to hate myself a lot." He started. He had Josh's full attention, now, and kept going, "I hated myself so much, but it just drained me, you know?" he shook his head, "Josh, I don't what you're going through, right now, but just…just don't blame yourself. Blame…blame what took them." James meant Blackwood Mountain. Those snowcapped mountains had been what swallowed his sisters up that fateful night. Josh shouldn't hat himself, but if he needed something to blame, blame the mountain. Blame it like he blamed the Animal.

At least, that's what he'd meant. James was so caught up in his dark thoughts that he didn't see the sick little light that gleamed in Josh's eyes as he looked out over the others.

"Yeah…" Josh said quietly, "Yeah, you're right…thanks, James." He patted the werewolf on the shoulder, "You're a good guy." Then he walked away.

"Your welcome." James muttered.

Little did he know, that advice would come back to haunt him in due time…

_**XXXXX**_

…**..why is it that every time I finish the next chapter it's either close to or past midnight and I have work tomorrow?**

**UGHHHHH! FUCKING FINALLLY! You have no idea how painful it was to finish this one! I'm not happy with how it turned out, but at this point, I was out of ideas and just really wanted to update at least one of my stories! Also, writers block, life events, and work make me an unhappy writer. I am very happy this one is finished because the next chapter will be the start of Until Dawn! This is the last Before Dawn chapter you guys. We'll be on the bus to Blackwood next time this is updated! Before I continue, I just want to say, or acknowledge that this chapter is potentially lacking in a few elements. If not, since I'm my own worst critic, then never mind lol, but I try to make things believable as possible and the way this one came out is a bit choppy in my eyes. I really wanted to have things flow smoother, but I had no more events in mind to piece everything together hence the timeskips and cutscenes towards the end. Just want to say that. P.S. if any of you are wondering what's going on with my other story Winter Wolf, don't worry, it's in progress. Slowly, but in progress.**

**Also, know that I appreciate you, the readers. I mostly write for myself, but knowing people actually like the madness that spews forth from my cranium? It's a warm and powerful feeling. I'm also really tired as I write this and am going to pass out soon, so I'll leave you all with a big thank you to those who've followed/faved/read/reviewed, and I will see you next time! Goodnight! **


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9: Friendship_

_James Sam_

The ride to Blackwood Mountain had been mostly silent with Sam checking her phone between falling in and out of sleep while James watched the sky turn cloudy and grey, the roads become white with snow, and the landscape more wooded with spidery limbs of hibernating trees and tall evergreens. Now, they were sharing Sam's earphones to listen to the broadcast playing over her radio app addressing the very reason they were here. Static plagued the transmission, but both listened intently.

"_Today is the one-year anniversary of the dreadful tragedy that took place on Mount Washington. Sheriff Annie Cline, who was in charge of the investigation…"_

"_Thanks for having me, Marty."_

"…_listeners an update on Hannah and Beth Washington, the twins who are still missing."_

"_One year ago tonight, the Washington girls left the safety of their parents lodge and headed out into a snowstorm…"_

"…_foul play?"_

"_Not officially, no. There is one individual we're considering a person of interest but his whereabouts are currently unknown. He has an interesting history with the Washington family. He had warned them against pursuing their construction project and claimed the land was sacred to his forefathers."_

"_You know there is still the old sanatorium on the mountain. Could he be hiding there?"_

"_My officers did search the grounds, but…the girls themselves couldn't have made it that far."_

Sam made a distressed face at that declaration and she let out a soft breath. James instantly noticed and laid a hand on her knee in support.

"_Something about that mountain seems to breed tragic events."_

"_More than you know, Marty."_

"_Well, thank you for joining us, Annie…to all the Washington family…their son Josh on this; the anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of Hannah and Beth Washington."_

Just before the broadcast ended completely, Sam's thumb changed the screen to play the video Josh had sent her a few minutes ago. Josh stood in what James guessed was the Washington Lodge he had heard so much about and talking to the camera with a big smile.

"_Well hello friends and fans!" _The camera blurred and Josh moved forward to adjust it, "_Alright, let's do that again…" _Josh grumbled and zoomed in on himself before beginning again,_ "Alright. Well, hello friends and fans! It's beyond awesome to have you guys all back this year. First off, I gotta say I am super excited to welcome all my pals back to the annual winter getaway!" _Josh let out a short cheer before continuing in a more serious tone of voice, _"So, um…let me just let you know, uh, let's take a moment to address the elephant in the room for a second. I know you're probably all worried about me and I know it's going to be tough on all of us going back after what happened last year, but…I just want you all to know it means…it means so much to me that we're doing this and I…I know it would mean so much to Hannah and Beth that we're all still here together thinking of them. I really want to spend some quality time with each and every one of you and, um, share some moments that we'll never forget for…for the sake of my sisters, you know? Okay, so! Let's party like we're fucking porn stars, okay! Let's make this one trip we will never forget, alright? Yes!" _

"Porn stars?" James mumbled when the video ended.

Sam sighed and put her phone away, "Yeah, it's kind of his catch phrase."

James looked at her oddly as he pulled his earbud free and said, "I've never heard him say that."

"Be glad you haven't." She responded as the bus came to a stop.

Off the bus they went, their boots crunching softly against the snowy ground as they stood in front of the main entrance to Blackwood Pines. Shafts of moonlight peeked through the branches and boughs of trees silhouetted in a faint mist that permeated the chilly air.

"So, this is it." James declared.

"Yep." Sam said, popping the 'p' and turning to him with a small smile, "You nervous?" she asked lightly.

James shrugged, "I'm still surprised I was invited."

Sam shrugged right back, "Well, you did make a big impact on Josh. At least that's what he said. Come on, let's get moving." Sam told him as they passed under the main entrance. Sam pushed open the waist-high gate and the two began their trek along the path to the cable car station. Sam walked in front of him and her choice of outfit to protect herself against the elements once again caught his eye.

"How are your legs not cold?" He asked.

Her pink backpack bobbed as she turned and shot him a cheeky grin, "Checking me out, Steele?" She asked glibly.

"No, just trying to understand why you're wearing_ tights_ and a _skirt_ in northern weather with no gloves." James grunted. His choice in clothing was at least something meant for cold weather; a warm pair of jeans, his boots, winter gloves, and a green checkered flannel. Extra pairs of similar clothes were folded into his gray backpack.

Suddenly Sam frowned and stopped in her tracks, and James was instantly on alert when she looked over her shoulder and called out, "Hello? Is someone there?"

"What is it?" He asked as he scanned the dark shapes of trees and bramble among the white snow and reflexively sniffed the air, not that it did him any good. He'd taken his wolfsbane on the bus and his bodily senses were completely human now. All he smelled was the crisp air of the winter forest.

After a moment, Sam shook her head and said, "I just thought I heard someone. This place always gave me the creeps." She said and rubbed her arms in a mix of chills and nerves, "Being back here doesn't help."

James merely shrugged in agreement and followed her when she started to walk off, but not before giving the forest another suspicious look. The hairs on the back of his neck refused to go down, and there was something about the forest that was setting him on edge. James was a cautious person by nature and learned to trust his instincts, so he spiked up a conversation to alleviate his own nerves while keeping an eye on the trees.

"So, Josh's family owns Blackwood Pines?" He asked as they walked.

"Not really. Sam responded, "They own a chunk of it but not the whole thing."

"But they own enough to build a ski lodge." He stated, somewhat dryly.

"Yep, Josh's dad is practically Daddy Warbucks." Sam responded with an equally dry tone.

James blinked, "Daddy who?" He asked.

Sam sighed and said, "First thing we do when we get there is have you watch _all_ the classics."

"I'm just not a movie person." James said with a shrug, their banter putting him at ease again.

"Don't let Josh hear you say that." Sam laughed as they rounded the path and came upon a large metal gate blocking their path. As they approached, they took note of a sheet of paper taped to the center. Sam strolled up and plucked it off to read the words written on it.

_The gate's busted, __climb over__!-Chris_

"Aw, what?" Sam groused. A quick shake of the metal bars proved the message true. "Jesus, never mind." She hissed and turned to James, "Alright, James." She said seriously and nodded her head at the bars, "Kick it in."

James stared at her dead serious expression and replied with a concerned, "Are you serious?"

Sam snorted, "Of course not! We've gotta climb over."

James sent her a flat look, "I know, I read the note, too." He grunted.

Sam softly laughed to herself as she walked over to the left side of the gate and examined the stone wall for ways to climb. The protruding stone provided excellent handholds, and before James could blink, she was quickly scaling up the short wall.

"Be careful!" James exclaimed as she crouched and jumped up to grab a handhold to pull herself to the top.

"Rock climbing for the win!" Sam panted as she maneuvered herself over the edge and jumped down with a grunt, "Come on, slowpoke! I'm freezing out here!" She called.

"Yeah, that's because you're not wearing gloves!" James responded.

Sam rolled her eyes, "Just get over here!" She said even as she blew warm air into her hands that dripped with melting snow.

James just shook his head and began to climb. Instead of jumping like a squirrel, he took a much safer route to climb and pulled himself over the edge. As he crouched on the ledge and to jump down, he stopped. Something moved out in the trees to his far left, and he froze, eyes fixed on where he'd seen something duck behind a tree. His body tensed up and began to sniff the air again. For once, he wished the Animal wasn't suppressed so his eyes could pierce the gloom, his ears could hear movement, and his nose could scent whatever was out there. Of course, it could just be a deer, or a squirrel, or a stray branch moving in the wind…

"James? You okay?"

Sam calling his name snapped him back to reality. He looked down at her concerned expression and glanced back up to where he was staring. Nothing was there.

"Yeah, I'm good." He said and jumped down next to her with a grunt.

"Told you; creepy." She said with a small smile.

James gave a small smile of his own, but he was on edge once more and he made sure to walk a little closer to Sam as they continued down the path. Up ahead, parts of the snowy trail were lit up by small light poles, so they had to be getting closer to the cable car station. The thought calmed James somewhat, but he remained vigilant as they approached a set of steps that led onto the lit path.

A small, red squirrel darted out on the brush onto the path in front of the steps and immediately had Sam cooing in delight, "Aw! Hey little fella!" She dropped to a crouch and pulled some trail mix out of a bag she kept in her pocket and held it out to the squirrel, "Ya hungry?"

James watched as Sam once again proved that she must have some psychic connection with animals, because the small rodent made its way over to her. Sam stood as still as she could, no sudden movements, and smiled with delight as the squirrel took some of the trail mix out of her palm and scurried off.

"Cutie." Sam said, getting up. She turned around to see James watching her and shaking his head, "What?" She asked.

"I will never understand how you do that." He told her.

Sam just shrugged, "I'm just good with animals." She said.

They walked on down the path with Sam only stopping to admire a statue and plaque that told of the indigenous people and butterfly prophecies. "Oh, cool!" Sam said as she read the plaque, "This must be new. It wasn't here last time I came." She told James. He idly skimmed over how the tribes used dreams and the colors of the butterflies to dictate the nature of the prophecy before he followed Sam to the station.

"Wow." He muttered in awe. The station looked out over the vast mountain range itself, and it was quite the sight to see.

"Right?" Sam said as she took in his expression with a smile.

"It's beautiful." James declared as he took in the whole mountain range with its deep gorges, snow drifting through the air, valleys of green trees, and windswept sky with wide eyes.

"Never fails to take my breath away." Sam said as they walked closer to the fence overlooking the ledge.

James was too captivated by the untamed beauty of Blackwood Mountain to notice the sign, but Sam did. Large words were painted in red across the map of the Mountain that read **THE PAST IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL.**

"Wow, graffiti all the way up here?" She muttered to herself.

James came over to see what she was looking at and frowned at the letters, "The hell?" He grunted and glanced around the station, his sense of unease once more returning, "Isn't Chris supposed to meet us here?" He asked.

"Well, his bag is here." Sam said and turned to walk towards the bench where Chris' backpack sat and shouted out, "Chris? Are you here? Your bag's here, where are you?" She muttered, "You're not in the bag, are you?" She called out again.

"I don't think he'd fit in there." James commented behind her.

Chris' phone, that was almost falling out of a side pocket, lit up and began to vibrate with a message.

"Hello, what do we have here?" Sam said to herself as curiosity grabbed a hold of her. Five bucks said it was from Ashley. At least she hoped so! One of the reasons Sam was here was to play wingwoman for Ashley. After James' wolfen nature was revealed, the group had grown closer together again, and since Ashley was the reason that James was no longer affected by the full moon, the two girls interacted more and more as the weeks passed. Words were said, conversations held, and Sam's anger towards one of the people who took part in the prank eventually drained away. Of course, the fact that Ashley and Chris had been dancing around each other since they first met made it painful to watch them almost-flirt-but-not-really on the daily. Part of her wanted to snoop Chris' DM to make sure Ashley was putting on the moves like they discussed. She doubted it, but a girl could dream.

Before she could make a decision, James saw the boy in question walk out of the darkness of the bushes and make a beeline for them.

"Hey, Chris." James greeted.

"Hey, you made it!" The bespectacled blonde called as he approached.

Deciding that she shouldn't go through Chris' stuff, Sam zippered the phone up and turned to say hello, "Hi, Chris!" She said with a smile.

James narrowed his eyes at the boy with thoughts of what had happened on the way here, and asked, "What were you doing out there?"

"Taking a whiz." Was the succinct answer.

"Gross." Said Sam.

James frowned. He didn't think Chris was the type to stalk people through the woods, but you could never tell with some people.

Chris took note of his frown and asked, "You alright, man?"

James debated with himself for a moment before opting out of admitting he'd been feeling watched on the way here, "Yeah, I'm fine, just..." Running out of words, James just shrugged. He'd never been good at lying.

Chris gave him an odd look before starting up again, "Oh! So, I found something kinda amazing." He told them as he walked over to scoop up his backpack.

"What?"

"I'm not gonna tell you; you gotta see for yourself. Come on, it's this way."

Once again, Sam suspiciously asked, "Where?" Even as they both began to follow the blonde who led them around the corner of the station.

"Right around here. Gonna blow your mind!" Chris replied.

They followed Chris around the side of the cable car station towards the back. On their way, Sam spotted the wanted poster stuck to the wall.

"Oh man, look at this!" She addressed the boys as she leaned in to read the name Victor Milgram listed on the federal poster along with a slew of felonies.

"Nice! You think we'll get a visit from America's most wanted?" Chris asked jokingly.

"Looks like someone thought so." Sam said as she read the part listing that his last known address was Blackwood Pines itself.

"Oh, come on, this place is abandoned most of the year. Nobody comes up here." Chris reaffirmed.

"Hopefully not." James grunted as they rounded the corner.

"Ta Dah! Pretty rad, right?" Chris exclaimed. James blinked at the fenced off area of trees with assorted barrels, targets hanging from trees, cans, and bottles lying around, along with the rifle lain across a table looking in on what was apparently a homemade shooting range.

"Yeaaaah…" Sam's sarcasm was as clear as day as she beheld the setup.

"How is this supposed to blow my mind?" James muttered, genuinely confused.

Chris gestured to the guns and said, "Come on! Look at these beauties!"

"Uh, beauties is not the word that comes to mind." Sam drawled, "Why is this even here?"

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"What the hell is a shooting range doing at the base of a ski lodge?"

"Uh, dude, have you ever met Josh's dad?" Chris began as he picked up the rifle.

"Yeah…?" Sam responded.

"He thinks he's like, Grizzly Adams or something." Chris said and motioned with a hand, "Wanna try?"

Sam waved him off, "Uh, no. You go ahead, Grizzly."

Chris looked at James, who declined with a polite shake of the head. Chris shrugged and turned to aim the gun into the range, "Alright, here goes!" He said. A few shots later proved that he was a crack shot with a rifle, along Chris performing what James dubbed the _"Imma badass" _shuffle. Sam egged him on the whole time while James watched from behind with crossed arms. The squirrel that Sam had fed earlier decided to make an appearance but was fortunately not shot by Chris.

"Hey, sharpshooter, our rides coming." Sam piped up after a moment.

"Wait, I'm just getting the hang of this!" Chris complained.

"Come on, Chris, the cable car!"

James let a small smile pass over his face at Chris' grumpy expression as he put the rifle down. A crow flew overhead, and he absentmindedly watched it fly by. God, this place was beautiful! The crisp, cold air made him feel alive and the vast sense of untamed wilderness stirred something within him. James turned and walked after Chris and Sam just in time to hear Chris say, "Man, it is…it's definitely weird coming back up here after a whole year."

"Yeah. I swear the moment I got here it just all came flooding back." Sam replied.

"A year goes fast." Chris said.

"_That it does." _James thought as he trailed behind the two. Memories of his own came flooding back, memories of the aftermath of his first change; of climbing into his uncle's pickup half mad with grief and panic with the names of the Washington twins coming out of the radio. Their deaths had brought him here; to Calgary, to Sam, to this very mountain, and the more he thought about that, the more uncomfortable he became.

What was he even doing here? He'd never met Hannah or Beth; he had no connection to them whatsoever! He certainly hadn't taken part in the events of last year, so why had Josh even invited him? He was honored that Josh had extended him the invitation, and James could guess just how much this meant to the guy, but…he felt like an outsider. It almost felt disrespectful to have him here on the anniversary of the twins' disappearance. He hadn't been there that night and he had never met the twins, so he asked himself again; why was he here? Not only that, his relationship with the rest of the group was…awkward to say the least. Despite Sam's reassurances, he knew for a fact that most of them had not fully gotten over the events of the night he had last transformed, Munroe especially. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a problem just by being here. Hell, he could see it in the way Chris glanced at him out of the corner of his eye with a questioning gaze. He'd been reluctant to come simply because tonight was a full moon, but Josh's insistence and Sam's gentle request for support was what made him agree. That, and a generous amount of wolfsbane. The dried petals took the edge off his fear, but he would take no chances whatsoever when other's lives were involved. Besides, the moon wouldn't be full tomorrow night, so that eased some the tension swimming in his heart.

"James, you coming?"

James blinked and looked up to see Chris holding the door open for him. He'd missed their exchange of why the door had been locked to prevent people sleeping in the station and trudged inside. Chris shut the door behind him and locked it with a key. Sam walked forward to lean against the railing to watch the cable car's slow approach while Chris checked out the inside of the station. This high up and overlooking the mountain gorge, the wind was brutal and lashed against their exposed skin.

"Ugh, I thought the car was closer." Sam complained. James stood next to her to offer some measly protection from the whipping wind, not that it did much.

"Guess we gotta wait." Came Chris' voice, "What a crazy place to set up house." He called as he walked around inside, "No matter how rich you are!"

"They're not so rich. They only bought a mountain!" Sam called back. Then, she turned to him and nudged his arm, "Hey, you okay?" She asked softly.

James, who had been watching the car crawl closer and closer, blinked and shrugged, "I'm okay. Just thinking."

"About what?" Sam prodded gently.

James grimaced as he tried to give words to the combination of emotions he felt at that moment, "Just…this." He said and gave a small gesture to his surroundings .

Sam's hand rested on his arm, "Hey," She said and stared into his eyes, "You're gonna be fine." She smiled, "I'm glad you're here."

James smiled back as the cable car rolled into the station.

"Finally." Sam sighed and called to Chris, "You coming?"

"Well, I was just gonna stay here and catch some Zzz's, but…okay." Chris mock complained. Sam shot him an exasperated look and climbed into the car with James right behind her. They sat down next to each other, and Sam's head swung to watch Chris as he slung off his backpack and entered the car, "Just like going to the prom!" He joked as he sat down across from them.

The doors shut and the car shuddered forward.

"Here we go!" Sam cheered.

"Right! Adventure begins!"

James chuckled softly and looked out the windows to watch the landscape pass by.

"Ah, I hope this was the right thing to do." Sam bemoaned after a moment.

"What?" Chris exclaimed.

"You know, getting everyone together on the anniversary. I mean, Josh seemed really pumped about us all doing something, didn't he?"

"Yeah, no, he definitely did. I haven't seen him this excited about something in forever." Chris assured her.

"Good, good. It's hard to tell with him and I…I've been kinda worried…"

"No, no, it was…it was a good idea."

"I hope everybody feels the same way." Sam said with a strained smile.

"Well, we're all here, aren't we?" Chris said. James was silent throughout the exchange, feeling there was little he could offer, but he felt Chris' eyes on him when he said that. The two of them locked eyes for a moment before both looked away uncomfortably.

Sam reached over and knuckled Chris' leg, "Thanks bro, good talk!" She said and got a laugh out of everyone that dulled the somber mood that was building.

Chris glanced at James again before sighing and saying, "You know what? Let's just…let's just stop talking about what happened and enjoy the trip!"

"You know what? You're right." Sam sighed.

"You know how Josh and I met?" Chris said after a moment, addressing both Sam and James.

"No." Sam declared while James turned his attention to the boy in front of him and leaned in to listen.

"Okay. Third grade; Josh sat in the back of the room. I sat in the front. We didn't even know each other existed, but the kid sitting next to Josh started strap-snapping the training bra on the girl in front of him, so the teacher made him move to the front-where I was sitting."

"Okay, so?" Sam questioned.

"So, I got moved to the back!"

"And?"

"And next to Josh! That's how we met! And became friends to this day."

"A match made in heaven." Sam said and made James chuckle.

"If it weren't for the fact that Jeanie Simmons hit puberty like three years early and on that day decided to wear a low-cut shirt that showed off her training bra, I mean who knows? You could be riding in this cable car alone right now! Or, or talking to some other person entirely! Boom: butterfly effect."

James blinked, "Wow." He said. Well, he certainly wasn't going to disagree with the guy. Hell, his whole life seemed to be made up of butterfly effects.

"Right?" Chris said to him, "Chaos theory, man! It's a science! Well, more mathematic than science, but still! Life's crazy when you really think about it. One small decision can affect the rest of your life!"

"No pressure." Sam commented.

No pressure. The words brought him back to the conversation that made him come here in the first place.

"_Huh?" James balked into the phone. _

"_You heard me, man!" He could practically hear Josh's lopsided grin, "I want you to come up with everyone this February. Now, I know this is short notice, but Sam told you about what's going on, right?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Good, because I want you to come. I really, really would appreciate it if you came up here, James. Seriously. What I got planned…well, let's say you were a bit of an inspiration."_

"_Josh, I'm honored, but-"_

"_If you're worried about the full moon, don't be! It's only there for one night, and from what I've heard, Ashley's flowers are still doing the trick! You're cured, bro! You've got nothing to worry about!"_

"_I'm not cured." Was what he wanted to say, but Josh kept going._

"_Listen, I know this is completely out of the blue, I get it, but…it would mean a lot if you came, James. Seriously. I know…I know you didn't know my sisters, but I know they'd want you to be a part of this. The more the merrier, right? I mean, I figured you'd be chomping at the bit for a winter getaway, just you and Sam." James felt his ears grow hot and he glanced over at the girl in question who was watching him from across the room with a raised eyebrow, "I already talked to her, and don't tell her that I told you, but she wants you to come, too. Ask her, if you want!"_

_James tried to formulate an argument, but he did not know what he could possibly say to dissuade Josh. What was more, James couldn't form an argument to dissuade himself. A part of him wanted to go; the part of him that still craved normalcy. The rest of him was screaming that this was a recipe for disaster. A group of teens, a winter getaway on a mountain, and a werewolf; sounded like the plot for a cheesy horror movie. _

_Josh continued speaking as James' thoughts ran around and around inside his head, "Dude, I promise that you won't regret it; I swear! Come on, man; live a little! When was the last time you took a vacation? Hell, when was the last time you hung out with friends?"_

_The night he'd been bitten was the last time he'd hung out with friends. As for a vacation…did fleeing to Canada count?_

"_Look, you don't have to decide now," Josh told him, "But it's all going down next week. Just saying. No pressure."_

Ultimately, Sam later admitting that, yes, she wanted him to go was the deciding factor. So, here he was. And, _no_, it wasn't because he "had a thing for Sam" like Josh _constantly_ suggested. Seriously, _all the time. _James was starting to think that Josh had a thing for Sam himself and was projecting. No, he'd had a feeling that this whole anniversary thing would hit Sam hard, and he wanted to be there if she needed him.

Sam and Chris made small talk for the rest of the ride while James stayed silent until they arrived on the other side of the mountain without a hitch. Only when they tried to leave the station did they have problems. The door was locked and the only way to open it was from the other side. Chris groaned and smacked the door in frustration just as Jessica walked in front of it, making the girl jump.

"Ah! What the hell!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Jess! Hey!" Chris called.

"Jessica, over here!" Sam waved.

"Uh…are you guys having a really weird stroke?" The girl asked in an annoyed tone.

"We're stuck in this stupid thing." Chris groaned

"Can you please let us out? Pretty please?"

Jessica pressed the button to open the door, and Chris walked out declaring, "Oh. My God. I thought we were goners. Another ten minutes in there and I would have chewed off my own leg!"

"Aw, sick, Chris." Sam said, making a face.

"Look, I got a lot of meat on my bones! This is all muscle down here."

"Yeah. Riiight. Uh-huh." Sam said flatly.

"So, question." Jessica said and pointed a dainty finger at James, who was still hovering in the doorway, "Why is he here?"

"Josh invited him." Sam said with a simple shrug.

Jessica looked at Sam, then at James, then up at the full moon hovering in the sky, then back to Sam, "Josh invited him here. Tonight." She scoffed, "Is Josh trying to kill us?"

James reached into his pocked and pulled out the small pouch for Jessica to see, "We're safe." James told her, "I already ate one, anyway." He shrugged, "Nothing's going to happen tonight."

Jessica gave the pouch a keen eye, "Those really work, then, huh?" She said speculatively.

James nodded, "One hundred percent."

Chris took that moment to snatch the letter Jessica was holding, "Bwip!"

"Hey!"

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" Chris said as he examined the letter.

"Chris!" Jessica said, now even more annoyed.

"My goodness!" Chris said, holding up a finger, "Seems that someone has a love letter dictated to our good friend and dear class president Michael Munroe!"

"Chris." Sam warned.

Chris continued to tease her, "And what kind of sizzling erotica might our Jessica be capable of imagining; I wonder?"

Before anyone could say anything else, James walked forward and plucked the letter out of Chris' hands while shooting him a look that said "really?". Say whatever you want, but just snatching someone else's stuff was not cool in his book. Chris held up his hands in surrender and James walked over to Jessica to hand her letter back.

"Thanks." Jessica said as she took it, "At least someone has some manners!"

"Fine!" Chris grumbled and tucked his hands into his pockets, "Ruin my fun. It's not like we don't know about you and Mike."

"Yeah, well maybe nosey nancies shouldn't go nosing around in other peoples…nostrils."

James blinked and looked at Jessica.

"…What?"

Jessica scoffed at him, "Don't look at me like that; it was the best I came up with."

Chris and Sam looked like they were trying not to laugh.

"Uh…yeah I try not to do that. As a rule." Chris declared.

"Ugh, you're such an idiot." Jessica told him with an eye-roll.

"Alright, alright, let's get up to the lodge already." Chris said with a sigh, "Getting tired of all this nature and junk."

"You guys go ahead." Jessica said, "I'm just gonna wait here for a bit…see who else is coming."

"You mean Mike?" Chris added slyly.

Jessica just gave him another spectacular eye-roll and waved him away.

"Uh-huh." Chris said and called over to where Sam was walking towards a picturesque view of the mountain range, "Sam?"

"Did you see this view? I mean, holy cow! Sometimes I forget to stop and just…take it all in."

James wished he could join in on her enthusiasm.

That feeling of unease, of being watched, hadn't left him since he left the cable car, and on this side of the mountain?

It felt ten times worse…

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Oh, it feels good to be back! The last few months have been rough to say the least, but I completed this chapter like I kept telling myself I would! And before midnight to boot! And it is Friday so woohoo!**

**So, bit of introductory chapter in a way. I didn't really know where to end this chapter, but I think I'm just going to go in accordance with the game's chapter by chapter. Thus, chapter 1: Friendship, and chapter 2 will be Jealousy. I know this is also short, but not a lot was going to happen aside from some altered dialogue. Everyone knows about Jess and Mike already, so there was no reason for Chris to snatch the paper and act surprised so instead he's just teasing her. The chapter by chapter approach should let me get chapter's out faster, so not all bad.**

**Another thing I want to address; the groups reaction to James being here on a full moon. I like to think that at this point they've come to terms with, if not accept, the werewolf, but while they know about the wolfsbane and its effects on James, the fact that he's here is still unnerving. I'm trying not to write that fact off or make the characters act nonchalantly towards it either, so I apologize in advance if that seems that way in the future.**

**Also, sorry if you wanted to see the POVs from the other characters. I just didn't really see any point in doing it because everyone probably knows the lines and outcomes by now and there'd be no point in useless filler. Besides, at the end of the day, this is OC centric fic and I didn't want to have to write more just to have a couple of dialogue or interactions that mention James or anything relating to his effect on the story thus far. It's a small detail, but I wanted to address it. Besides, from what I've read in the reviews, you guys are here for the werewolf anyway lol. **

**Big thanks to all you who fav/follow/review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: Jealousy _

_James_

It was a bit of a hike to the lodge and Chris was panting a bit by the time they got there while he and Sam were still going strong. Josh was waiting for them outside the gate and he smiled when he saw them, "Hey guys!" Josh called with a big smile on his face.

Sam and James said hello back while Chris instantly started to complain.

"Man, I feel like this mountain gets bigger every time I climb it." He huffed.

"Oh yeah? Feels the same to me." Josh responded with arms crossed and a lazy smile.

"Come on, you grew up here. It probably feels like its shrinking."

"I guess that's true." Josh responded.

Chris pulled out his phone to check it and groaned, "When are you gonna install some cell towers around here? I'm getting withdrawals already."

"You got a spare million lying around and I'll fix you right up."

"Funny you should say that…ah, I think I left it in my other jacket."

"Oops." Josh replied and began to lead them towards the front steps of the Washington Lodge where Ashley and Matt were already waiting. The Lodge itself was an enormous rustic mansion, if there ever was such a thing; all stone and wood with over a dozen wide windows with the shutters down, and second floor wooden balconies with twisted railings.

"Hey gang! You guys get up here okay?" Josh asked them with a wave.

"Could done with some bellboys, but, hey; can't get everything." Matt said, getting up.

"Yeah it was pretty easy…a little creepy though…it's just weird being back here." Ashley added from her place on the snow-covered steps.

James silently agreed with that. He'd felt eyes on him the whole way here. Hell, it still felt like someone was watching him. James frowned and looked off into the trees surrounding the property for what felt like the tenth time. He doubted it was an animal. It could just be one of the others yet to arrive trying to play a joke on them.

He was so on edge that he started at Sam's gentle touch upon his arm. "Hey?" She said quietly while the others talked amongst themselves, "What's wrong?" When he didn't respond, she nodded her head towards the gate, "You want to talk over there?" He nodded, and they walked away from the others. Sam leaned against the wooden gate and watched him as he stared off into the trees with an uncomfortable expression, "What is it? Is it…" she asked She gestured towards his pocket where the pouch of wolfsbane was, "You know?"

James grimaced, "I don't know." He grunted, "I just…I just feel like something's wrong."

It was Sam's turn to frown, "What? Why?"

James opened his mouth to elaborate, but the sound of Chris and Matt talking behind him made him stop. He turned to see Chris finish talking to Matt, the latter giving him a friendly nod in greeting when he saw him. Chris started walking up to them saying, "So, the lock's frozen. Me and Josh are gonna try to take care of it." He said.

Sam turned away from James to address Chris, "Gotcha. So…you seen Ash yet?" Sam asked lightly.

"Uh...yeah, why."

"Cool. Cool." She added nonchalantly, "How's, uh…how's she doing?"

"She's fine. Why?"

"No reason." Sam said and turned around like nothing had happened. Chris made a face at her and looked to James for an explanation. He had none, so Chris shrugged and walked off to join Josh. Sam watched him go out of the corner of her eye before turning back to James and saying, "So, talk to me."

He shrugged, "I don't know, Sam." He sighed but chose to deflect instead of elaborate on the maddening need to look over his shoulder, "Like you said, this place is creepy. How about you? How're you doing?"

Sam looked at him for a moment before shrugging, "Good as I can be, I guess. Let's see if they got the door open." She said before walking off.

James internally winced, knowing that hadn't been what she had wanted to hear. He shook his head at himself and trailed after her, stopping only when he passed by Matt. James nodded his head, "Hey Matt."

"Hey James." The light-skinned teen greeted, "I didn't expect to see you up here. Well, I mean, I did; Josh told everyone you were coming, but…you know." He said and waved up at the sky where rays of moonlight peeked through the trees.

James shook his head, "Don't worry. I've got extra wolfsbane. Not taking any chances tonight."

James liked Matt. Aside from not hating him after the full moon incident, the jock was just a genuinely good guy. He actually reminded James of Brock more than anything; motivated, ambitious, and active with whatever they put their minds to. Brock had been a little hot-headed as well, but had a big heart, and the same seemed to go for Matt Brown, so instead of avoiding conversation, James tried his best to interact with him.

"Josh invited me, and Sam convinced me to go." He said, "I just hope it doesn't seem like I'm…intruding."

Matt shook his head, "No, no, it's cool! You're good, dude. Between you and me, I think a fresh face is what we need around here. To help move past what happened, you know?"

James frowned at Matt's guilty expression, "It was bad, wasn't it." He stated softly.

"Yeah." Matt said quietly, "I don't want to get into it."

On that note, they walked up the steps to stand by the girls who were waiting outside the door expectantly.

"Hey James." Ashley greeted upon his approach, "How you holding up?"

James nodded, "Good. Still working like a charm."

"Good." She said before continuing, "Oh, hey, just so you know, and don't shoot the messenger-"

James groaned, "Is this about Eralia wanting my hair again?"

Matt and Sam's expressions were priceless.

Ashley winced slightly, "Yes?"

James sighed, "Look, I appreciate all she's done for me, but I'm not going to risk turning again. What does she even need it for?" Ashley's silence was telling. James stared flatly at her, "…You have no idea, do you?"

"Hehe…no?"

James dragged a hand down his face in exasperation.

"I'm sorry," Sam said with her eyes darting in between them, "What?"

Ashley tried to play it off like it was nothing, "Eralia wants some werewolf hair for a spell."

"Didn't you say she was like…voodoo?" Matt asked warily, "What is she going to do with it?"

James and Ashley glanced at each other before shrugging.

"Wait, wait, wait…you mean to tell me that one of the local _witches_ wants your _fur _for a _spell? _What the-when…" Sam threw her hands up in the air, "You know what? I don't want to know."

"I do!" Matt said with his hand raised.

James snickered at Sam's expression and she rounded on him, "What's so funny?"

"You." Was his immediate response.

Sam raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He challenged.

"Guys, get a room already!" Matt groaned.

Ashley giggled.

"WoooooOOOOOoooOOOO!" Came from the other side of the door.

Sam walked up to the window and said, "Hi Chris, very funny."

"Aw, how'd you know it was me?"

"Shouldn't you be like, getting the lock open or something?"

"On it!"

A few minutes later, Chris returned with a spray can and a lighter to torch the lock. When he was done, he burned his hand opening the door, and once he was done shaking said hand, he gave them a bow, saying, "Thank you. Thank you, thank you; I'll be here all week-"

A blur of claws and fur dashed out from behind Chris' legs, ran past the others, and jumped off the steps. Chris actually let out an "EEK!" as it ran by and the girls began to laugh after the shock. James and Matt watched it scamper into the trees with identical expressions of, "What the hell?"

"Jeez! Crap, that thing freaked me out!" said Chris.

"What was it? Are you okay?" Ashley asked once she was done laughing.

"It was like a bear or a tiger or something!"

"Aw, it was just a cute little baby wolverine!" Sam cooed.

"Baby?" Chris asked skeptically.

"How did it get in there?" James asked out loud as Josh jogged past him.

Josh, having witnessed the whole thing, grinned at Chris as he came up the steps and said, "Don't worry, buddy, you're gonna be a big boy soon."

With that, the four began to file in, leaving Matt and James outside. Really? They were just going to ignore what just happened? Just like that?

"So," James asked, "Is no one gonna answer my question?"

Matt just gave him a helpless shrug and headed inside himself.

"Seriously?" James asked his retreating back.

Apparently so.

James, not knowing what else to think, followed Matt into the lodge.

"Home sweet home!" Josh proclaimed as they walked from the foyer into the living room.

"Sweet is not the word I'd use." Matt muttered as he placed down his and what was undoubtably Emily's luggage.

The lodge itself was, in a few words, fancy and eerie. The only light was from that of the moon illuminating the gloom, casting shadows, and highlighting the motes of dust floating in the air. Some of the furniture was covered by sheets, odd sculptures and knick-knacks dotted the place, and a huge spherical light fixture dangled above the living room. A glance up on the second floor revealed ceremonial masks, odd paintings, and bookcases lining the hallway.

"Oh my gosh, it is so good to be inside! Even if it's still kinda freezing in here." Ashley said.

"I'll get a fire going!" Josh responded and walked over to the fireplace to do just that.

"This place barely looks any different." Said Matt as he examined the interior.

"Yeah, nobody's been up here." Josh told him.

"Even with all the police coming in and out?" Ashley asked as the four of them walked closer to the staircase leading upstairs.

"Not a lot of action up here lately." Chris said to her.

Josh confirmed it with a simple nope.

"What's up party people!" Came a loud voice from the foyer.

Everyone turned to see Mike stomp inside with Jessica behind him.

"Heyyy!" The blonde girl called.

"Hey!" Josh greeted the couple, "Make yourself at home, bro." He said to Mike.

"Will do!" Mike said enthusiastically and turned around to lock eyes with James. The boy froze and frowned, "On second thought..." He said to himself before saying out loud, "What the hell is he doing here?"

James felt his face go blank. Out of everyone, Mike was the most openly antagonistic towards him and made his distrust and dislike of him clear whenever they met. To be fair, the feeling was mutual. Munroe seemed like an intelligent guy, but he was a smartass who loved to run his mouth. He seemed driven to annoy and put down James at every turn, and he was persuasive enough to keep some of the group on his side that James was still going to eat them.

"Relax, I invited him here." Josh told Mike in a tone that made it clear he wanted him to knock it off.

"You see that big, round glowing thing in the sky?" Mike said and pointed at the moonlight streaming in through the windows, "You guys remembered what happened last time, right?"

"It won't happen." James affirmed and stepped forward, "I wouldn't be here without my wolfsbane, Mike."

"Your magic flowers still don't make me feel better, Wolfie."

Anger sparked in James' gut at the sound of the nickname and he took a breath to keep his head clear. He took a step forward and said, "Mike, I'm only here because Josh invited me; that's all. I don't want to start something."

Mike narrowed his eyes at him, "Really? Because it sounds like you _want_ to start something." He said casually while taking a step forward.

"What is your beef, Mike?" James fired back.

Just as Mike opened his mouth to reply, Josh shouted, "STOP IT! This is not why we come up here, this is not helping; it's not what I wanted. If we can't get along for ten minutes then maybe we need a little bit of a break, right? Mike, why don't you and Jess check out the guest cabin I told you about?"

"Yeah…yeah, cool." Mike said after a stare-down with James. He broke eye contact with the werewolf and walked over to the couch where Jessica sat watching the two of them with raised eyebrows, "Wanna head up there?" He asked her. Jessica stood up as he approached with a nervousness in her movements. She glanced between James and Mike one more time before saying, "Sure." And the two walked off hand in hand. James glared at Mike's retreating back before shaking his head and stepping back to lean against the upstairs banister with a frustrated sigh.

It was at that moment that Emily decided to walk in. The girl took one look at the various expressions ranging from angry to uncomfortable and raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow, "Okay…" She drawled as she walked inside, "What I miss?" Her eyes landed on James and the other eyebrow went up in surprise before dismissing him with a shrug.

"Nothing much." Matt turned to Josh and asked, "So, Josh…should we get this fire going-"

"Where's my bag?" Emily called as she looked over the luggage Matt had brought in.

"Huh?"

"My bag! My little bag with the pink pattern? The one I got on Rodeo? Matt are you listening?" Matt just stared blankly at her, "Oh my god, don't you remember? Next to the Italian shop place where I got the stilettos and you knocked over the rack while you were drooling all over that girl at the counter?"

"Well, I mean…she was asking about my letter jacket."

"Riiiight, because she gave a shit about your 'designer' letter jacket."

"Why do you hate my jacket?"

"Matt, I need my bag!"

James just tuned them out as they argued.

After Matt and Emily left to go back to the cable car station to help search for her missing bag, Sam stood up from her place on the steps and took a hold of James' arm saying, "Okay, I'm gonna get us settled in and go take a bath."

Without further ado, she tugged a slightly confused James upstairs, which was even darker and colder than downstairs. None of the lights had been turned on yet, and a slight banging drew his attention over to an open window; the shutters were swinging in the breeze and cold air whistled inside. James walked over and shut it. That explained the temperature. Was that how the wolverine had gotten in? He turned and Sam gestured for him to follow.

"Mike is such an asshole." She said as they walked, "You okay?"

James shrugged, "I'm okay." He replied lowly. He didn't particularly want to get into his feelings regarding Munroe. What was there to say aside from him wanting to clock the guy? James already hated himself enough for what had happened; he didn't need any reminders that he'd almost killed people. He had enough guilt to go around as it was.

Sam told him, "You don't sound okay. You said something was wrong earlier. What was that about?"

"I don't know, Sam." He said again. James scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration at once again not being able to articulate himself while idly noting that he needed to shave again. Sam patiently waited for his answer as the two walked towards the back of the lodge.

"This place just makes me feel…anxious." He said at last.

"Is it the moon?" She asked.

James faltered for a moment, "Maybe." He said after a moment. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was just the full moon and just general nerves at being here with everyone for such an event.

Sam paused in her steps and looked at him, "You know…" She began as he drew level with her, "You never talk about it." She said with that concerned look in her eye. James frowned at her, and she quickly clarified. She gestured at him, more precisely, his necklace, "You just…you never talk about it. Being, well, a werewolf." Sam must have seen something in his expression because she apologized, "I'm sorry." She said and looked off to the side, "I'm just…curious, I guess. You never talk about it at all. Sometimes I just wonder what it must be like." She shrugged and offered him an apologetic smile.

James offered her what felt like a weaker smile in return, and she turned and started walking. James trailed behind her with his thoughts on Sam's question. After a moment, he spoke.

"What do you want to know?"

Sam blinked and turned to him with surprise clear in her spring green eyes, "Really?" She asked.

James shrugged, "Like you said; can't help being curious." He rumbled. If anyone else had asked him the question, he doubted he'd want to tell them, but Sam…well, she was special.

"What do you want to know?" He repeated.

Sam began as she led him through a set of doors, "I've had this on my mind for a while, but, before it happens…before you change…do you feel…different?"

James stayed silent as they walked, mulling over Sam's question before putting it into words, "It usually doesn't hit me until nightfall, but the closer to the full moon I get…everything is just…more. It's a rush; like I just drank a gallon of expresso."

"What about…emotions?" She asked.

James paused and looked at her. That was…oddly specific.

"What do you mean?"

They stopped just outside of another door and looked at each other.

"Well…" Sam said after a moment, "And correct me if I'm wrong because I've only seen this twice, but you get …intense."

James' frowned deepened, "Well, yeah." He said. He was about to become a monster; of course he'd be intense!

"Sam, what do you mean?" He asked again as Sam pushed open the door and he followed her inside. Now he was nervous. Had he done something to her when he was under the influence of the Animal? If so, then what?

Sam removed her backpack and dropped it onto the floor. Her hat come off a second later and she shook away stray locks of hair. She'd done her hair up in a messy bun; it was a good look for her.

"It's the way you just look at me." She said as she turned to face him, "Your eyes start glowing and you just…change."

"It's not me." James instantly said, "Sam, it's the Animal, not me! If I did anything to you-"

"Whoa, calm down, big guy!" Sam cut him off and walked up to place a calming hand on his shoulder with a reassuring smile, "You're okay! You didn't do anything. Trust me, I'd tell you if you did."

James sighed in relief.

"Why would you think that?" She asked after a moment.

James opened his mouth to speak but stopped.

"I, uh…" He faltered, "I don't know."

Yes, he did.

Oh, _yes, _he did.

The reason he thought that was because, in his moments of weakness, his eyes would linger on her for longer than was polite. When the light caught her eyes in just the right way, the little brown flecks in them would turn gold and send his heart hammering. The mere sound of her voice was enough to brighten his day, she smelled marvelous to his sensitive nose, and her touch upon his skin made the Animal purr and stir from the confines of his mind.

Sam's beautiful eyes glinted with something he couldn't name, "I think you do." She said after a moment in a soft voice.

James mouth was suddenly dry again, but this time because he realized just how close Sam was to him. Close enough that he could count the smattering of freckles on her nose and the flecks of brown in her eyes.

"Hey, James!" Josh called from downstairs, "Can you come here for a second?"

James froze, just realizing the position they were in together. She was practically in his arms, so close that if James wanted to, he could encircle her whole waist in his arms and pull her close…

James felt a stab of disappointment on top of his relief when Sam took her hand off his shoulder and stepped back from him, and were her cheeks pink?

"How about you go see what Josh wants?" She suggested softly while averting her eyes from him,

"Yeah." James grunted, trying to clear the dryness in his throat, "I'll just, um…"

"Yeah." Sam said. James caught the tail end of a smile curling the edges of her lips right before he walked out of the bathroom and headed back downstairs.

Josh was waiting for him at the base of the steps. Chris and Ashley were nowhere in sight, although James heard them talking to each other in another room.

"What's up?" He asked as he approached.

"You wanna help me get the fire going?" He asked, "Just need some logs from out back."

"Sure." James replied simply.

Josh grinned and led him towards the door, "Cool. It's just out back. I'd ask Chris, but I was hoping to give him some alone time with Ashley if you know what I mean."

James huffed a small laugh. He hadn't known Chris and Ashley for nearly as long as the others had, but even he knew the two of them were crazy for each other.

"Speaking of alone time, sorry if I interrupted anything going on up there." Josh added with a sly smile.

James opened his mouth but closed it just as quickly because something _did _happen up there, and Josh _did_ interrupt it, but James did NOT want Josh knowing that. Too late, apparently, because Josh noticed the slip, and his smile widened.

"Oh ho!" He said as he opened the door for him and they walked outside into the falling snow. Josh led him around the side of the house "So, you and _Sammy_, huh?"

James frowned. The way Josh said _Sammy _had his hackles raising. Not in a possessive way, being called Sammy annoyed Sam to no end, but there was an undercurrent in Josh's voice; something…dark. He looked at Josh, but the Washington boy was just walking with a lazy smile on his face and had his hands tucked into his vest pockets; nothing about him seemed outwardly bothered.

"Can't say I'm surprised; girl's always had a habit of picking up strays. No offense." Josh continued with a blasé shrug.

James stopped dead in his tracks and looked at him sharply, "Excuse me?" He asked.

Josh didn't even acknowledge what he just said and kept walking forward, "I gotta say, I really appreciate you coming. It means a lot to me."

James stared at him, "…Are you okay?" He asked after a pause.

Josh turned on his heel to face him with a megawatt smile, "I'm peachy, man!" He said loudly.

A little _too_ loudly. Only now James was noticing small things about Josh he hadn't before; there were dark circles under his eyes, and they were glassy. His skin looked a little pallid, too.

"Tonight is going to be something special! By the way," He turned and looked at James with a concerned expression, "You took that wolfsbane stuff right?"

James' frown deepened, "Yeah. Why?"

"Just want to make sure you're ready to party your ass off!" Josh said and lightly punched James in the shoulder. James tried for a smile, but it came out weak.

Something was wrong with Josh.

Before James could say anything else, Josh suddenly bopped himself on the side of the head with his fist, "Oh-shit! I need to take care of something really quick! I'll be back in just a second, sorry dude!"

He sounded so frantic that James could only say, "Uh, yeah-sure, man."

"Great! Sorry man; go up through that gate and make a left. Just grab a few logs. I'll be back!" Josh added in his best Terminator impression before turning to go.

James watched him jog off back around the side of the lodge with a perplexed expression. That was…something. He needed to talk to Sam, he thought as he rounded the corner. He didn't know if Josh had a few pre-party drinks in him or something, but he was acting…off. More so than usual. James shook his head and walked up an incline in the snow to open the gate.

"Come on, where are you?" He grumbled as he scanned the surrounding area. He was at the rear of the lodge; picnic tables were scattered around the large clearing and there was a trail leading back into the woods. If he took a few steps forward, he'd be in view of the windows.

James idly glanced at the electronic watch Sam had given him before they'd come here and grimaced. It had been an hour since his first petal; time for his second dosage. He stuck his hand into his pocket to grab the pouch while his necklace tingled briefly against his skin from the rush of the Animal awakening from its induced slumber. Its power flowed through him even as he pulled out the pouch and carefully undid the drawstrings, enhancing his eyesight, his hearing, his sense of smell-

_**Blood.**_

James froze with the first petal halfway to his mouth.

Slowly, he turned towards the cabin as the iron stink of old blood and guts replaced the crisp scent of snow and pine; so strong he could taste it! What the fuck? Why did the cabin smell like that? James made to turn around but stopped dead in his tracks when another scent wafted under his nose, brought to him by the whipping mountain winds.

Every fucking hair on his body stood on end.

The cabin just smelled like old meat and drying blood; like roadkill and a butcher shop.

This?

This was _death. _

The Animal surged to the confines of his mind with orange eyes wide. A rush of blood filled his head as James' body went into fight or flight. He spun to face the forest with shoulders hunched and eyes piercing the darkness of the trees.

Something was out there.

Something that had the Animal baring its teeth.

James unconsciously let out a low growl as he scanned the forest. God damnit, he was fucking _shaking! _It smelled of ice, and death, and _wrong. _Wrong_wrong__**wrongWRONG!**_

Smell wasn't even the right word to use. The _stink _of whatever was out there was just…_wrong. _It was an amalgamation of scents that had both him and the Animal reeling in disgust, fear, and to his utter confusion, _**anger**_.

He was so _angry! _Foreign instincts were flooding his body; telling him to _**go **__**out **_into those woods, _**track down **_whatever was out there, and _**kill it!**_

James was so caught up in his bloodlust that he didn't hear the person creeping up behind him.

A needle jabbed into his neck and the plunger pushed down. James jerked in place, but then the person jumped on his back and pressed something over his mouth. James snarled and thrashed, trying to throw his attacker off, but the gas hissing from the gasmask flowed into his lungs and he collapsed to his knees as darkness crept into the corners of his vision and numbness spread through his veins.

_**XXXXX**_

_Josh_

Josh got off the unconscious werewolf and stared down at him. A short laugh bubbled up out of his throat.

He did it.

Holy shit, he did it!

Josh put the needle and the gasmask back into his pockets and bent down to slap the werewolf's cheek.

No response.

"Sorry, buddy!" He said with a short laugh, "But you're not supposed to be a part of this!"

He grabbed James by his ankles and pulled him back through the gate and out of the line of sight from the windows.

"God, why are you so heavy?" He groaned. All of the shit he'd been doing for the last month was nothing compared to this! Hell, all the pigs hadn't been this heavy! He dragged James back down the way he'd gone and propped him up in an out of the way corner of the lodge. It was a perfect alcove to shove James' body into, and Josh stepped back to make sure none of him was peeking out.

He'd neglected to flip James over, so the guy's front was covered in snow. It was obvious someone had dragged a body across the ground. Josh kicked the snow around to get rid of the skid marks and turned around to stare at James again.

Part of him felt bad, but he had to do it! James had never been a part of the plan; the guy was a rogue element! He could have ruined everything! That, and he wasn't part of the prank; he was innocent! James would understand, when he woke up, Josh was sure of it!

They'd share a laugh, grab a beer, and go watch the footage with the others! Oh, it was gonna be GREAT!

GREAT FUN!

RIGHT GUYS?

HANNAH? BETH? _HILL?_

Josh began laughing. He laughed and laughed, not too loudly, though! He didn't want anyone to see the fact that he was hiding a body! Just like in his dad's movies!

"The fireplace is GAS, you moron!" Josh laughed at James slumped form, "Oh, BOY is it a good thing you don't pay attention!" He squatted in front of James and stared at him, "You took your wolfsbane, right? You should be good for another hour. Look, I'm gonna leave you here and go tell the others you went for a walk, okay? You don't mind a bit of snow, do ya? Of course you don't. You'll be fine." Josh stood up and exhaled a deep breath before walking back to the front door.

He made sure his mask of the complex but thoughtful and loving Joshua Washington was in place when he stepped inside and yelled out, "Sammy!"

"What?" Came her voice from upstairs.

"You want to help me get this fire going?" He called as he shut the door behind him. Chris and Ashley were talking to one another like the idiotic lovebirds they were. He smiled at them when he walked into the living room.

"Ummm-well, I was just getting into the bath!"

Josh grinned. He bet James would've like to see that, "Oh! Well, do you need any help with that?"

"Hardy-har!"

Josh smothered the bout of chuckles bubbling up from his throat.

Let the fun begin!

_**XXXXX**_

**NANI? TWO CHAPTERS WITHIN 2 WEEKS!? **

**The curse of Sunday updates has returned, I see! **

**Big thanks to mah boi Ultimate Survivor for once again letting me take the reigns for this story! We've kicked the idea of this story back and forth for so damn long. It is SO satisfying to be writing Blackwood Mountain!**

**In case anyone's wondering, Josh stuffed James' body into a little crevice that's at the back of the Lodge in the spot where Chris and Josh go to get inside the Lodge.**

**The story is picking up faster than I thought. Now that I'm writing the main plotline, things are going to go much quicker than I thought, which is good! I already have the next chapter written and all I have to do is make a few adjustments in the beginning! You won't have to wait too long for the next installment, my friends! Happy Holidays and have a good week!**


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11: Malevolence_

_James_

Slowly, like the dawn creeping over the horizon, James regained consciousness with a loud groan.

The first thing he registered was how cold and wet his face was and his clothes were soaked. The second thing was he was on his back looking up at the night sky with the surrounding trees grasping up at the stars. The third thing was that something was fiercely tugging on his right boot.

James felt himself slide a bit across the ground before he lifted his head to see what had him. His vision took a second to come into focus, but when it did, his eyes bulged when he saw what was, quite literally, pulling his leg.

A wolverine had its jaws locked around James' right boot and was dragging him across the ground with all the strength in its furry body.

His first thought was that he was pretty sure it was the same wolverine from the lodge. The second was one of panic because a _wolverine_ was dragging him through the forest! James let out a sound of surprise and the animal instantly released his boot before taking off into the brush. He scrambled to his feet and looked around in a panic.

What happened!? Where was he!?

He was in the middle of the woods from the looks of it, and faint light off in the distance pointed him in the direction of the lodge. For a panicked moment, the thought he had transformed passed through his mind, but the fact his clothes were still intact fortunately disproved it. But still, how the hell had he wound up here? Had that wolverine dragged him all the way here from where he'd-

His hand slapped to his neck as the phantom pain of a needle sliding into his flesh followed by the sensation of gas filling his lungs echoed through his body and he broke out in a cold sweat.

He had been attacked from behind.

By who?!

He couldn't remember too much, either. He remembered walking with Josh to get logs for the fire, but that's all he remembered before things got fuzzy. He needed to warn the others and tell them about what had just happened-

_Then, the wind shifted and brought the sound of screams drifting into his sensitive ears. _

James spun in place, head cocked to the side, alert and listening. No…no, he had to have been hearing things because that almost sounded like-

"_Jessica!"_

It was faint, but he heard it; that was _Mike's _voice! James walked in the direction the yells came from, straining to hear anything else. Hadn't Josh said something to Mike about heading up to a cabin?

"_Jess!"_

Mike's far-off criestickled at his ears again, and before he knew it, he was running into the forest without a second thought.

His necklace came off a moment later and the Animal's power surged through him.

The darkness of the winter night was lifted as his eyes quickly adjusted to the din, and he dashed straight through the trees. Thick brush and snowy pines blurred by him in a mix of white, brown, and dull greens as he ran faster and faster, until he broke through the brush and came upon a path leading off into the forest. The snow made it difficult to run, but James powered through and poured on the speed while following the signs along the path pointing to the cabin, the faint scent of Mike's cologne and Jessica's perfume, and Mike's distant, panicked cries.

"_Jessica!"_

The icy wind blew once more and filled his nose with the iron tang of blood.

"MIKE! JESSICA!" He yelled as he ran.

He turned a corner and sped up a set of steps after the faint pairs of footprints in the snow leading away. James blurred along the path so fast, he was astounded he hadn't tripped yet. Some sort of entrance to what looked like an old mine loomed up ahead. Mike and Jessica's scents were strong in there, so he charged inside. Another scent tickled his nose; tobacco and some sort of sharp, cloying scent, like gasoline or fuel. He hopped down from a ledge onto the floor and navigated the old mineshaft until he emerged on the other side. From there, he charged up more steps, dashed across a bridge, vaulted over fences, a huge fallen tree, and nearly broke his neck slipping on tight turns.

Eventually, the smell of blood grew stronger and he spied streaks of red staining the snow across a fallen log. James skidded to a stop. Something had been dragged off into the trees here, although it wasn't Mike or Jessica's; a quick sniff revealed it was animal blood.

"_ARGH! NO! MICHAAEELLLL HELP ME! HELP ME!" _

Jessica's terrified cries echoed in his ears, followed by Mike's anguished cry of, _"NO!"_

James' head shot up in the direction of Mike's distant voice, "Mike!" He called out and tore off down the path again. He clambered up a rocky incline to be greeted by what had to be the cabin. Broken glass mixed with flecks of blood lay on the ground near the front steps. His nose told him _that_ was Jessica's blood staining the snow this time. There was another scent here, too, one that made him gag; something old and fetid mixed with rotten blood and decay that set his teeth on edge and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His breath came out in clouds of steam as a ferocious growl ripped from his throat, and James resumed the chase.

He ran along an old bridge, nearly slipping on patches of ice littering the planks, rounded the corner, and found himself leaning over the edge of a snowy ravine. Light winked at the bottom and James saw what looked like Mike, a lantern in hand, rounding the corner down below and calling out Jessica's name.

"MIKE!" He yelled out, but Mike didn't hear him. James glanced around and followed an incline that went down to the bottom where he ducked and dodged fallen logs and large rocks. He hurtled the corner Mike had disappeared around and wound up facing an open chasm stretching down into the dark. Fortunately, there was just enough of a rocky ledge stretching across the chasm to shimmy across. He did as much, mindful of his footing, and when he turned and sprinted around the corner, he nearly tumbled off the edge of a hill overlooking what looked like an old mining plant.

"_Jessica!"_

James saw Mike's lantern off in the distance disappear into one of the buildings. He looked around with a grimace before he noticed the wooden structure that led down onto the ground, and James found himself sprinting full force towards the mining plant a moment later.

"MIKE! JESS!" He called as he threw open the doors and shoved himself inside.

"_NO!" _

James followed Mike's anguished yell and ran down a flight of stairs, went through a tunnel, and turned the corner before coming to a stop. There, at the end, was Mike crouched over a body, and the stench of Jessica's blood was strong here.

"Mike!" He cried out.

Mike turned around to look at him with wide, frantic eyes. He looked terrible; covered in dirt and scratches and wearing only a tank top. A rifle was slung over his shoulder.

James dashed over to him with the words, "Mike, what-" on his lips, but stopped, because there, lying in a twisted, broken and bloodied heap, was Jessica in nothing but a white shirt and jeans. Her clothes were torn and filthy, her body covered in dirt, cuts, deep scratches, and there was a wicked set of gashes on her chest that looked like claw marks. The left side of her face was caked in blood from wounds on her scalp while a bruise formed on her right cheek, her lip was split and bleeding, and her hands were caked in grime and blood like she'd been clawing at the ground to get away. All in all, she looked like death warmed over.

She didn't look to be _moving_, either.

James was at her side next to Mike in an instant.

"Jessica!" He breathed in horror at the sight of the girl.

Jessica's jaw worked soundlessly, and she stirred with a moan of pain, "Mike?" She croaked.

James breathed a sigh of relief. She was still alive!

"Jess…" Mike breathed, reaching for her.

She turned her head to look at them, wincing from the effort and tried to move, tried to at least find the strength to at least _get up_, and failed. She flopped back down onto her back and croaked out a single word; "Help…"

There was a loud metallic groan of metal giving way from above, and Jessica and the lift she'd been lying on disappeared into the darkness of the shaft in a shower of dirt and dust.

The two of them screamed.

"NO!"

"JESSICA!"

James stared down into the darkness as shock paralyzed him. He hadn't known the girl well; Mike being her boyfriend put a damper on any interaction between them, but he soon knew her to be a confident person, and despite her boyfriend's stance with him, she had been one of the group who believed he had never meant them any harm; she seemed trusting like that. Sam's description of Jessica Riley had been irreverent, but James hadn't minded the girl in one bit.

And now she was…she was…

_Jessica…Oh god…_

A gunshot startled him out of his thoughts.

James flinched and turned to see Mike with the rifle aimed at the ceiling, "Up there!" He snarled, "Up there! Come on!" And he took off running.

"Mike, wait!" James called and headed after him. Mike didn't slow down in the slightest and ran up the metal stairs of the elevator shaft.

"Just shut up and follow me!" Mike snapped as he turned a corner and didn't even hesitate jumpinga broken gap in the stairwell and thudded to the other side. James did hesitate, although he quickly rectified that; crouching low and leaping the deep drop to come to a stop behind Mike who was staring up at the metal cage encasing the lift. His eyes darted along the structure, assessing and examining, before they hardened, and he moved forward.

"Mike?" James questioned from behind him.

"We gotta climb. There's no other way up." Came the terse reply. Mike walked right up to it and grabbed hold of a metal protrusion sticking out of a corner beam.

"Mike, what the _fuck _just-"

Mike spun on his heel and jabbed a finger at James, "Listen, Wolfie!" He shouted, his brown eyes wide and blazing, "Either start climbing or go back to the lodge and get help! I'm not gonna waste time explaining shit while whoever _killed Jessica-_" James flinched at the words, "-Gets away!"

James stared after him, and the shock bled away to anger and determination a second later.

"Then explain on the way." He said and moved to take the corner across from Mike who looked at him in surprise, "We got a better chance of catching him if there's two of us." James told him. Mike stared at him before nodding once and began to climb. James' eyes traveled up his side of the shaft, mapping out a path, before he pulled off his soaked gloves, they'd only interfere with his grip, and began climbing.

Mike was on the right and James on the left; James had taken a safe way up, but Mike's way was decidedly faster, as he was ahead of James by a margin.

"So, what happened?" James huffed as he hauled his body upward.

"Jess and I went up to the cabin." Mike grunted and jumped to grab onto a piece of metal too high to reach, "We thought one of you guys were playing a trick on us or something." He hauled himself up and jumped up again, "Thought it was a bear, hell, thought it was _you. _Someone pulled her right out the damn wind-OH SHIT!" The slab of metal Mike grabbed came loose and fell, taking him with it.

"MIKE!" James shouted in alarm, but Mike's hand shot out and grabbed onto a beam at the last moment to halt his abrupt descent.

"I'm alright!" Mike called back as he hugged the metal, "I'm okay! Jesus-fuck, that was close!" Mike gasped as he regained his bearing from his near-death fall, "At least it's not raining, huh?" He said, chuckling at his own joke.

James rolled his eyes and chuckled despite himself, "Sure, Mike." He said dryly, "At least it's not raining."

They continued up and didn't stop until they reached the top. Mike had to shimmy across to reach the ledge, then they both had to jump another broken gap in the walkway to reach the other side. The second they did, they turned and caught sight of someone turning the corner.

"There he is!" Mike whispered sharply. He shouldered his rifle and went after the person with James hot on his heels. They rounded the corner and saw the silhouette of someone walking away into the gloom. James' nose twitched as he inhaled the sharp scent of fuel mixed with old tobacco. It was the second scent he'd picked up on his way here, and he snarled under his breath. Mike pulled the rifle off his shoulder to aim it at the retreating figure, and James didn't try to stop him when he pulled the trigger.

_*CLICK*_

The sound of an empty chamber was all that answered.

"What?" Mike spat, "Come on. Come ON!" He tossed the rifle to the ground, "Piece of shit…"

The stranger up ahead crouched and dropped down from a ledge, and a metal grate began to slide shut behind him. Mike and James shared a startled look before both took off running as the slab grinded down.

"Christ! Gotta make it!" Mike growled from behind him. James sprinted under the grate with Mike sliding to safety right before it shut.

"Great, how're we gonna get back?" James grunted. Mike didn't answer and kneeled to grab an old oil lamp lying on the minecart tracks under their feet he lit with a lighter. The soft, orange glow cast thin shadows along the tunnel walls that danced when he moved.

"We'll find a way after we get this guy." Mike said, looking around.

James stared at an electric light clamped to the side of the doorway casting a harsh, pale glow. He blinked and frowned, saying, "Whoever he is, he's been here long enough to set up shop."

"Well, come on, Wolfie. We're not gonna catch him standing around." Mike said he dropped down from the broken tracks and looked back up at him. James growled and dropped down next to him.

"Speaking of wolves…" Mike began. James turned to Mike who was looking at him with a wary expression, "You ate your flowers, right? I don't feel like becoming a chew-toy."

James glared at him, "I did." He bit out.

"You sure?" Mike asked skeptically.

"Of course I did!" He snapped and patted his pocket, "I got them right-"

He stopped.

His hand darted into his pocket before checking his other one. Nothing. He checked his flannel; nothing!

"No, no, no!" James growled as panic and fear churned inside of him. The small pouch of wolfsbane was nowhere to be found! His wolfsbane, where the fuck was it! The last time he had it was…

_Oh shit. _

It all came flooding back to him, now. He'd just been about to eat his second petal when he smelled the awful scent of the cabin, and then came that second stench; the one that sent the Animal into a frenzy, and then…

_The sting of the needle piercing his flesh, the weight of his attacker slamming into his back, the pouch flying from his hands as he struggled against the weight and the mask pressing over his mouth-_

"Oh fuck!" He hissed.

"What?" Mike snapped, "What is it!"

"I don't have it." James began, "My wolfsbane! I dropped it back at the lodge!"

Mike took a step back, his eyes going wide with fear, "What!" He demanded.

"I was outside; someone attacked me! They stuck a needle in my neck and there was this gas…they knocked me out! When I woke up, I heard you screaming so I just started running!"

His wolfsbane! He needed his wolfsbane! Everyone here was in danger of him if he didn't get it!

"I _knew_ someone was out there!" James growled after a moment, "The whole time I felt like someone was watching us! It must be the same guy!"

Mike was still silent and watching him with eyes wary and posture guarded. When James looked at him, he flinched.

"What?!" James snarled.

He had to get back to lodge! Were the others okay!? How long had he been out for?

Wait-

James' eyes shot to his watch; it hadn't been that long since the first hour. Hell, it wasn't even close to midnight yet; he still had time!

"I still have time!" James said and looked at Mike, who was still staring at him like he was about to attack him, "Relax, Mike!" He growled, "I'm not gonna turn yet! I only turn at midnight! We can still catch this guy if we hurry!" Usually, he'd have retreated to go back to the lodge to search for his wolfsbane, but the anger driving him to find Jessica's killer was burning through him like wildfire.

Mike watched him carefully, "You sure about that, Wolfie?" He asked cautiously. James looked at him for a moment before he sneered, and Mike flinched at the brief lupine glow that overtook his eyes.

"I'm sure." James grunted and faced the sound of whipping wind and the light of the outside world up ahead, "Keep up, will you?" He said as he walked off.

"Prick." Mike muttered as he hurried to keep up with the werewolf.

A windswept mountain edge was what greeted the pair when they exited the mine. Ice and snow blew at them from every direction, and a blurry haze of white and grey was all they could see. Mike's lantern was the only thing that kept the two from being separated as they trudged forward and stopped once they got close to the edge. Looming off in the distance, across the mountain gorge, was the silhouette of a very large building encased behind stone walls. A few trees stuck up from behind the walls and a pale light illuminated the front. James remembered hearing about the old sanatorium from the radio broadcast and its location on the map of the Washington estate. This had to be it

"Jesus." Mike swore, "What the hell is that place?"

"Look!" James said, pointing. A lone figure was making his way to the structure with the wind whipping their heavy coat. Mike turned to look at James, who nodded, and the two began to search for a way to get to the other side.


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12: Dread_

_James & Mike_

The cold was blistering and sliced them to the bone as they made their way through whipping wind and snow around the mountain towards the old building. James was surprised Mike wasn't suffering from hypothermia yet. Hell, he was surprised that _he _wasn't suffering from hypothermia yet. The freezing cold sapped the strength from his limbs like silver. Every step was a challenge. He didn't know how long it had taken them to round the mountain pass, but by the time they finally reached the building, James felt like a whole hour had passed. His watch told him otherwise, as did the position of the moon that shone through the flurry.

Finally, they reached the sanitorium. Mike clambered onto frozen rocks with James right behind him. Together, they peered over the stone wall surrounding the sanitorium. Floodlights had been strung up along the front and bathed the entrance in light. James doubted this place still had working electricity, so that meant a generator, which meant that whoever this guy was, he had been living here a while.

Mike suddenly grabbed James' arm and hissed, "Down!"

The man in the heavy coat was walking across the courtyard with what looked like two wolves at his heels. After a minute passed without being spotted, the two straightened and watched the man and his wolves walk inside.

"That's not good…that's really not good. Damn it!" Mike muttered to himself.

When the door shut behind the stranger, Mike said, "Alright, let's get a closer look!" He turned to James and asked, "Give me a boost, will ya?"

James nodded and fit his hand under Mike's boot to lift him up so he could grab the ledge and pull himself over. Mike winced as his hands dug into the cold snow. Carefully placing the lantern besides him, Mike rose to a crouch, picked up the lantern, and hopped down. James heard him land with a thud. Grumbling to himself that Mike hadn't offered to help _him, _James stepped back and jumped to grab the lip of the wall. Shivers wracked his body as he dragged his skin over the snow and stone. Fuck, this was cold! Landing feet-first, the werewolf stole a glance at Mike in nothing but a tank top. He was shivering all over; lips blue, gooseflesh prickling his skin, and his breath came out in shallow puffs that drifted away into wind. They had to get out of the cold, and fast!

"What are you doing?" James asked Mike when he made a beeline for the main entrance.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Mike shot back.

"You're just going to walk in through the front door after the guy? Into somewhere you've never been?" James asked flatly. Mike shot him a glare and opened his mouth but closed it when the howling of wolves came from inside.

"Feel free to get mauled while you're at it." James added.

"Then by all means, Wolfie, take the lead!" Mike said with a wave of his lantern.

James stopped and scanned the area with keen eyes. Mike watched him stalk up the stone steps, turn left before the entrance, and walked down towards a small grate on the left side of the building. James crouched down, grabbed it with both hands, and yanked it to the side to reveal an entrance to a lower floor. James glanced back to see Mike staring at a 'Condemned' sticker on the side of the building.

"Awesome…why wouldn't I end up in the creepiest place on planet earth?" He said to himself.

"You coming?" James asked.

"No thanks. You can go into a creepy basement and _I'll _go through the front."

James sent a flat look his way, "How do you know it isn't locked?"

Mike responded by returning said look before turning the knob and swinging the door open. James blinked in surprise. Mike rolled his eyes and walked straight inside without another word. James grunted in annoyance and proceeded to clamber through his much sneakier entrance into the sanitorium.

After a few minutes and pushing a barrel around, James poked his head out of a huge hole in the dilapidated floor and looked around. He was in some sort of hallway. The front door was wide open was not ten feet to his right and letting cold air hit his face. He hadn't even gotten that far inside the building to begin with! When he climbed out, he heard Mike's voice whisper-shout over to him, "Psst, Wolfie!" James looked to his left to see Mike standing in what might have once been a lobby but was now the ruined innards of a crumbling building. James even saw chunks from the ceiling laying about that let in moonlight. This entire place was a mess!

"This way!" Mike gestured. James got to his feet and walked after him. Mike led him towards a hallway with a red sign labeled _ADMIN _above the entrance.

"What about that way?" James asked, pointing across the lobby towards a door at the end of the hall labeled CHAPEL.

"Don't bother, I already tried. We need a keycard."

"How do you know?" James asked skeptically.

Mike stopped and turned to look at him, "Well, while you were banging around in the basement, I saw the guy and his wolves go through that door. We either need to find a way to open it or another way inside."

"I wasn't banging around." James said with a scowl.

"Yeah. You were." Mike deadpanned, "Look, just keep your eyes open. There's gotta be a keycard lying around here somewhere." He gestured with his lantern down the hall for James to follow. James grunted and walked after him, taking only a second to pause and read the plaque on the wall to his right. It read _Blackwood Pines Sanatorium _with the date at 1922.

The halls of the sanitorium were coated in decades of filth and dust. Debris, old sheets of paper, and age-rotted furniture were scattered all over the place. It was certainly warmer than it was outside, but not by much. The full moon lit the inside fairly well, what with all the holes in the walls, ceiling, and broken windows. It proved to be a bit of a maze as well. Three times they made wrong turns that led to dead ends. They searched everywhere for a keycard, though. Every room they stumbled into was searched from top to bottom, but they found nothing. However, every room had something that interested Mike. A broken camera, old newspapers, notes, and files all found their way into his hands. When James asked why he was so interested, Mike just gave an uneasy shrug and kept moving.

Right now, they were down descending a flight of steps towards the morgue, judging by the sign.

"So..." Mike breathed after a minute of silence "What's that nose of yours telling you?" James gave him a _look_. Mike gestured to said nose and asked, "Can't you track his scent?"

James' eyes darted around the decades-old sanatorium warily, "It's not as easy as you think. There's a bunch of different smells here that overlap." He informed Mike after a moment. He gave an experimental sniff and immediately grimaced. "Yeah-" He coughed, covering his nose with his jacket, "There's _a lot_ of smells around here."

Mike peered at him from out of the corner of his eye, "It's not that bad." He said.

James growled low in his throat and cut his eyes at him, "I'm sorry, _which _one of us is the werewolf again? By the way, do you _bathe _in cologne? It's giving me a headache just to be near you!"

Mike just gave him a glare and shoved passed him.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they came out into a hallway that was partially blocked off by overturned gurneys, bedframes, filing cabinets, and other things. However, light was coming in from an entranceway off to the side. One of the doors were missing and there was a table sticking out into the hall. Mike walked up to it and peered inside.

_"CAW!"_

A crow had been pecking at a lump of meat on the end on the table and flew of at his approach. Sticking out of that meat was a bloodstained machete.

"Gross." Mike muttered. He pushed the door open and tugged the machete out of the table. He gave it a brief once-over before sliding it through a loop on his jeans.

"What the fuck, Mike?" Came James' voice from behind him.

"What? We might need it!"

James just shook his head and walked past him, "Come on." The werewolf grumbled.

The next room was even worse. Tables, wheelchairs, rusted gurneys, and bedframes all were littered about. Entire chunks were missing from the ceiling and there were cracks in the walls. James swore he saw what looked like blood smeared on the wall next to the signs reading _WARDS 1-3 _and _MORGUE._

"You'd think they'd clean up before closing down." Mike said aloud. James grunted in agreement and they walked forward. Just as they were about to turn the corner, Mike spotted words carved into the wall on the far side of the room. He squinted at them as he approached, and what he read was spine-chilling.

**HOW MANY DAYS WILL THEY KEEP US HERE?! **

Two sets of tally marks lay scratched underneath the message.

"This...this is...what...who...what could have..." Mike stuttered.

James came up behind him to see what caught Mike's interest this time and stared at the message with wide eyes, "Whoa." Was all he could say.

Mike stepped away from the words and shook his head in disbelief, "Something bad happened here." He said solemnly and turned to James with a heavy frown, "All that stuff I've been picking up? The newspapers, the camera, the notes? I keep finding stuff that talks about something that happened in the fifties. There was an 'incident' in the mines, a cave-in or something, and a bunch of miners got trapped. That old newspaper I was checking out earlier? Front page was about a reporter trying to get pictures of the miners, but they confiscated his camera. Remember that camera I found?"

James stared at him, "You think it's the same camera?"

Mike shrugged, "I don't know. There was always a bunch of stories surrounding this place; none good." He swung his lantern around as he examined the old sanitorium, "All I do know is that something really, really fucking bad happened..." Mike trailed off before blinking hard and refocusing, "Let's keep going." He told James.

They walked forward past broken equipment and rusty wheelchairs and froze when the shadow of a wolf passed by the light in the next hallway.

"Oh shit!" Mike hissed and ducked into an adjacent room.

James strained his ears and listen. He heard nothing; no growls, no clicking of nails on cement, no panting because of a loud clanking noise coming from down the same hall.

"Geez, wouldn't want press snooping around in this paradise." Came Mike's voice. James looked into the room Mike had ducked into and was unsurprised to find him with a piece of yellow paper in his hand. Mike looked at him and said, "I told you, man; bad stuff. It's starting to look like they were trying to cover something up with the miners..."

"Mike." James growled, "Jessica?"

Mike immediately went rigid and dropped the telegram he'd been holding. He took a deep breath and walked out of the room to fall in-step besides James. The hallway they passed through was downright creepy. Not only were they watching out for wolves and the stranger, but there was a model skeleton that spooked James when he saw it out of the corner of his eye. One of the rooms they passed looked out over a restraining chair with blood on it that looked like it had been used as part of a weird experiment, and the metal banging James was hearing was coming from just up ahead. The two entered what had to have once been a laboratory and looked out over a grizzly sight.

A human arm waved back and forth on a table, accompanied by the sound of squeaking metal. Chunks of the skin were missing and there was blood all over the wood it poked out of. James gagged at the smell of old meat.

Mike instantly walked up to it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is this what he's feeding them?" He said in reference to the wolves. Then, he reached out a hand to grab the tag looped around the arm's wrist. James, upon seeing this, jumped forward and grabbed him.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, pulling him away.

"I was just-"

"You're just gonna grab a human arm!?"

"I wasn't gonna-"

"If you gotta poke it, poke it with that!" James told him and pointed at the machete he'd picked up.

Mike rolled his eyes but pulled the machete out to poke the severed limb, "Wolfie, you really need to relax. I-"

A loud SNAP echoed through the room as the jaws of the bear trap hidden underneath the flimsy wooden cover snapped shut around Mike's machete. The two shouted and jumped back from the suddenness of it and stared in shock. After a minute, James rallied and rounded on Mike with a glare.

"YOU SEE THAT! THAT COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR FINGERS!" He yelled, pointing at the mangled arm and the machete caught between trap's jaws. He growled in frustration and stalked off into the next room. Mike held up his left hand to stare at his fingers and gulped before following James.

The next room was undoubtedly the morgue.

"This place just gets better and better." Mike remarked as he stared at a disfigured head suspended in formaldehyde.

"Yep." James grunted and stepped away from another smear of drying blood on the wall. He looked around and walked up to the heavy wooden door out of here. The sign read **CHAPEL SECURITY PASS REQIURED** and there was a small slot with the words **LOCKED** mocking him.

"Great!" James grunted, "We still don't have a damn keycard!" James narrowed his eyes at the door and took a step back. Maybe if he tried kicking it down...

There was the sound of metal groaning and James turned to see Mike opening one of the lockers used to keep dead bodies. He stared as mike pulled out an empty tray, idly examined something on it, and moved onto the next one.

"Mike…what are you doing?" James asked slowly as Mike opened another one.

"I've got a hunch." Mike grunted as he opened another locker. That one was empty, too, save for a piece of paper. Upon examination, Mike found it was a hastily written death certificate, dated the 24th of February, and described the body as partially eaten when found.

"What the fuck…" He muttered.

"And your hunch is telling you to play around in a morgue?" James demanded.

The next locker wasn't empty.

James nearly vomited when the stench of rot and decay hit his sensitive nose like a truck, "What the hell, Mike!" He gagged.

"Ugh, fucking sick! That's fucking sick." Mike muttered as he beheld the decayed cadaver. A rat crawled out of its mouth and Mike nearly lost his lunch as well. Instead, he focused on the little green card tucked into the corpse's pocket. James was coughing and retching in the corner; the awful smells of the morgue had finally proven too much. Mike walked past him and put the key card into the slot. The pad turned green and the door unlocked with a loud click. Mike turned the handle and opened it with a satisfied smile.

"There we go!" He said and turned to James, "See? I told you I had a hunch."

"I hate you!" James groaned.

"I'd offer you some nose plugs if I had any, but..." Mike shrugged.

James glared at him.

"Oh, come on, don't be a baby." Mike admonished. James growled not unlike a wolf but got up to follow him, "Looks like we're going up." Mike commented as they approached a flight of stairs and began to climb.

"Yeah." James grunted.

"God, I hope Jess is okay." Mike muttered lowly.

James grimaced as they reached the first landing, "Yeah...me too." He said, then he paused. He thought he heard something...

Just as Mike began to walk up the next flight of stairs, one of the wolves popped out from a hole in wall barking at Mike with sharp teeth gnashing. Mike barely managed to get out an "Oh, fu-" before the white wolf took off after him up the stairs. James watched in shock as man and beast raced up the old staircase with the wolf's snarls and Mike's screams echoing through the building. The werewolf let out a growl before giving chase himself.

Mike ran up another flight of stairs, down a hall, and through a door which he slammed in the wolf's face. James jogged up the rest of the stairs to see the white wolf pacing just outside the door, and when it saw him, it began to growl again. James paused for just a moment before walking forward with a scowl on his face. The wolf's growls increased, and it let out a couple more barks before charging at him. James stood his ground with his own lips pulling back in a wolfish snarl and eyes flaring orange. A low, rumbling growl ripped from his throat, and the wolf skidded to a stop with yellow eyes wide, ears pricked, body rigid, and nose was quivering. James took a single step forward and the wolf started to growl and show teeth, but James surged forward with his own teeth bared and eyes wide. The wolf flinched and quickly darted past him with his tail tucked between its legs and vanished out of sigh. James just watched it go and wiped the spittle from his lips.

Mike flinched when the door opened, and in walked James.

"What the hell was going on out there?" Was the first thing he asked.

"Nothing." James grunted, "You alright?"

"Y-yeah. Check this out." Mike said and gestured to an enormous window overlooking the chapel. James joined him in staring down into the remnants of the chapel. Someone had definitely been living here from the looks of it.

"Isn't this a quaint little psycho-crib? I saw him go through that door." Mike said and pointed towards the rear of the chapel.

"Mike?" James grunted, "Word of advice; never run like you did back there. If you run, that means your prey."

Mike looked at him oddly, "This official werewolf advice?"

James groaned, "No, just...just stand your ground, next time, okay?"

"Thanks?" Mike said with an odd look.

The staircase was destroyed so they had to hop off the edge of what _used _to be staircase and landed back in the lobby.

"Right. Back in here." Mike said.

"Let's hope that keycard works." James grumbled.

It did work as a matter of fact, and the second they opened the door, Mike nearly got mauled by the same wolf again.

"Ah!" He cried out as the wolf jumped at him. He froze, James at his back, and stared down the wolf as it prowled forward. Just before he was going to try and hit it, James' advice of standing his ground suddenly came to the forefront of his mind and he stayed still as the wolf sniffed him. When it didn't attack, Mike sighed in relief as he walked inside with his hand outstretched as if to ward off the wolf.

"Okay...okay! Easy boy, easy! Easy...that's a good boy..."

The wolf rumbled slightly when James entered and walked away from the two humans to lay down on the floor away from them. It watched Mike curiously but kept a wary eye on James.

"He won't hurt you." James told Mike.

"How can you tell?"

James, who was a little surprised Munroe didn't make another wolf joke, shrugged and said, "I just know."

Then, to his further surprise, Mike approached the wolf. It got up at his approach and growled at him, but Mike pressed on.

"That's a good boy, that's right...easy..." Mike muttered soothingly. The wolf backed up for only a moment before his nose quivered and allowed Mike to touch him, "Yeah, good boy, that's right!" Mike said as he crouched to the wolf's level. Mike's fingers brushed against his snout and the wolf licked them, "Hey, guy! You like that? Yeah?" Mike's fingers ran over the wolf's head and rubbed at his ears and neck, "Everyone likes a little lovin right? Hm? Hmmm?"

When Mike stood up, James was staring at him.

"...What?" He asked.

James shook his head in disbelief, "You got some serious balls, man." He said.

"What? It's like you said! He's not gonna hurt anyone." Then he turned right back around and started petting the wolf, "Yeah, good boy!" He cooed. When he was done, Mike stood back up and declared, "I'm gonna call him Wolfie."

"No." James said instantly.

Mike's grin was practically shit-eating, "What? Jealous?"

James closed his eyes and groaned, "Let's just focus, okay? I'm gonna look around; see if there's anything we can learn about this guy."

Mike gave Wolfie another thorough petting before getting up and looking around the interior with James. Mike found himself a jacket, a pistol, the stranger's stogie stash, and a bone that he fed to Wolfie. James, however, was more transfixed by the map. It was an old map of what had to be Blackwood Pines as a whole. Newspaper clippings and pictures were strung up around it. One was read LOCAL MAN FOUND DEAD with the last word underlined in red ink and the word _LIARS_written as well. There were other things like FOOTPRINTS FOUND, BIGFOOT SIGHTED, and FOURTEEN MISSING IN THE MOUNTIANS. That last one was an old clipping with a black and white photograph of what had to be miners. James frowned, remembering Mike's words from earlier about how there were miners brought into the sanitorium. The other pictures were even more unsettling. One showed a human skull, another showed claw marks on a tree, and one showed a tall, long-limbed figure silhouetted in the snowfall. Five parts of the map were circled in blue ink with words written inside. Three read SIGHTINGS while the other two made James freeze. One read FATHER DIED, while the other read AMERICAN GIRLS DIED.

_The twins_, James thought to himself.

Mike's voice came from behind him, "The door's locked." James turned and saw Mike holding his pistol with a slight grin, "And I got the key. Might wanna cover your ears."

One shot later and they were on the move again.

"I'm starting to think you were right when you said something happened here." James said as they descended a flight of stairs.

"Yeah?"

"That map back there? The guy's got a clipping of the miners. It said all fourteen of them were missing in the mountains."

"Like they escaped or something?"

James shrugged as they stepped over a sign reading LAUNDRY and said, "Looks like it."

"Just what we need; more creepy shit." Mike bemoaned. They walked through the dilapidated laundry room and eventually to another chain-link door.

"Of course. Locked." Mike grimaced and tossed the barrel blocking him out of the way, "Stand back." He told James and leaned back while aiming the pistol at the lock.

The smell of oil hit James' nose a second too late when Mike pulled the trigger.

The sparks that flew off the lock landed in the oil seeping out of the overturned barrel. When Mike pushed open the gate, the flames spread along the floor towards a cluster of the same exact barrels. Mike and James shared a horrified glance before turning and running with Mike's cursing filling the air.

The following explosion rocked the inside of the Sanitorium.


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter__ 13: Violence_

_James & Mike_

"Mike…do you know…what the word _flammable_ means?"

"Shut…shut up…"

The explosion had sent the two boys flying and nearly deafened them. James had been blasted off his feet and wound up clutching his ears that would not stop ringing for over a minute. Mike had landed face-first on the ground hard and smacked his head against the stone floor, so his whole _head_ had been ringing along with his ears. The gated off entrance had been blown to smithereens. Fire crackled where the barrels once stood and thick black smoke poured into the sanatorium.

"It means…" James panted and glared over at Mike, "That things _burn _and _explode!" _He yelled.

"How was I supposed to know it was leaking?" Mike ground out through gritted teeth as he pushed himself up onto his knees.

"Maybe the smell of _leaking oil _after you _tipped it over?_" James snapped, "Or how the sparks from when you shot the lock _set the_ _floor on fire_? You could have killed us, Mike!"

"Well, now we're even!" Mike shot back.

James stared at him, "Are you fucking serious?" He asked incredulously.

Mike got to his feet and glared down at him, "Oh please, Wolfie! If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be here in the first place!"

Anger and disbelief shot through James in equal measure, and he surged to his feet demanding, "How is this my fault?!"

"If you weren't here, Jessica and I wouldn't have gone up to the cabin!"

James stepped forward and jabbed his finger at Mike "No! That's because you're an asshole who likes to run his mouth!"

Mike swatted his hand away, "Get your fucking hand out of my face!"

"Do not blame me for this!" James yelled back.

"If you weren't here, none of this would have happened!" Mike shouted at him, "If you never showed up, none of us would have gotten together again, and Josh wouldn't have planned this stupid fucking anniversary!"

"That's why you don't like me? Because everyone started hanging out again?!" James yelled in disbelief.

"Do you think any of us actually want to be here?! You think any of us _want_ to remember what happened last year!? That Josh's sisters are dead because of us?! Now Jessica is dead, too!" Mike stood there panting from exertion, his teeth clenched tight, and his eyes wide with anger and wet with unshed tears. James would have maybe felt some sympathy if not for Mike opening his mouth and telling him, "Because of you!"

_Because of you…_

The words filled the entirety of James head and swelled until they consumed his entire being. All his life, he'd lived with the fact that he lived while others died.

His parents, dead because of him.

His friends, dead because of him.

His uncle, dead _because of him._

Survivors guilt, they called it. All James knew was that blame and guilt lived inside him like a parasite that consumed every waking moment and drowned him in despair when provoked. James could only take so much before lashing out to rid himself of the pain, and Michael had just poked that parasite _hard. _

_Jessica, dead because of __**him.**_

The despair filled him, but so did the anger_._ Emotion filled him up to the point he couldn't move without feeling like they'd spill out in a torrent of violence. The Animal reared its head in the back of his mind and _growled. _

James lashed out, but with words.

"Oh yeah?" He said tightly, "At least I didn't kill Josh's sisters!"

Mike stepped back like he'd been punched. All the color drained from his face, and there was a despair in his eyes that resembled what James felt inside in that moment. Then, it was gone, and fury replaced it.

Mike's fist slammed into James' face and sent him stumbling back.

"YOU LIKE THAT?" Mike yelled at him and stepped towards him, "YOU LIKE THAT, YOU SON OF A BITCH?"

A deep, rumbling growl filled the darkness of the sanatorium. Slowly, ever so slowly, James turned to look at Mike with eyes blazing hellfire orange. The hand that had been cupping his face came away, and Mike watched James' split lip heal before his very eyes.

"Oh shi-!" Was all Mike got out before James lunged with an animalistic snarl and shoved him hard in the chest.

Mike's feet left the ground and he flew through the air before landing hard on his back. All the wind was knocked out of him in a whoosh of air and he let out a groan as fresh pain wracked his body. James loomed over him with shoulders hunched, teeth bared, and fingers curled like they were claws. His eyes glowed in the low light, and they set off all the alarms in the lizard part of Mike's brain warning that he was in the presence of a predator, that he was going to die if he didn't do something!

The pistol, still gripped in his right hand, moved to aim at James before Mike even registered what he was doing.

James registered it, however, and he _pounced._

He slammed down on top of Mike, knocking the air out of him once more, and one hand fisted into his collar to press him into the floor while the other ripped the pistol away and _squeezed_. Metal groaned, wood cracked_, _and the pistol crumpled like a soda can. He tossed it away where it bounced off the wall and landed on the floor, spilling the remaining bullets across the concrete. James glared down at Mike who stared back up at him with eyes so wide that James could see himself reflected in them.

More specifically, James saw the eyes of the Animal peering down at Michael Munroe…

"_Enough." _James growled, then louder, "Enough!" He shook his head vigorously, fighting back the Animal's aggression with sheer will. When he opened his eyes, he looked down at Mike and told him, "I didn't kill Jessica! And neither did you!"

Mike's struggles stopped completely. He stared at James with a wide-eyed, shocked, and confused expression.

"_None of this_ is our fault, Mike!" James snarled, "If anyone's to blame, it's the guy who killed her! The second we start blaming ourselves, we lose!"

"What the fuck do you mean _lose?_" Mike yelled back in a shaky voice. His eyes hardened and he fisted a hand in James shirt to push him away, but James didn't budge. Frustration, fear, and grief clouded Mike's mind when he yelled, "What the fuck do you know about losing!?"

"I LOST _EVERYTHING!_" James screamed in Mike's face, "I LOST MY FAMILY! I LOST MY FRIENDS! I LOST EVERYTHING I HAD!" He stopped to catch his breath, which came out harsh and ragged from a throat unused to yelling. James continued in a hoarse voice, "I lost everything, Mike, and you know what I learned? Blaming yourself for something that _isn't your fault_ doesn't. Fucking. Help you."He paused again and stared down at Michael Munroe. All the times he called him Wolfie, all the angry stares, the insults, the distrust he aimed at James for whatever reason suddenly boiled to the surface.

"Do you think I wanted this?" James hissed. He yanked down the side of his shirt to show Mike the scar tissue underneath, "You think I wanted this to happen to me? You think I wanted to see my friends get mauled? You think I like waking up covered in blood?!"

He shoved Mike back against the floor again because, _damnit, why couldn't he understand!?_

"I didn't ask for this, Mike! I didn't ask to be _cursed!_ I didn't want to kill the only fucking family I had left! I didn't ask to be a _monster!_"

The silence that followed was more deafening than the exploding barrels. James sat there pinning Mike to the floor and panting raggedly from all the rage, all the fear, all the guilt and pain…

Mike just stared back up at him with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly parted. James didn't think he had blinked once since he started screaming either.

"But you know what I do want?" James said quietly after a moment, "I want to get out of here! I want to find who killed Jessica! I want to find my fucking wolfsbane, so I _don't_ turn into a monster again! I want to get back to the lodge and make sure the others are safe!"

James released Mike's collar and got up off him. He took a few steps away and let out a deep, tired sigh as he reached into his pocket, "That's why you can't blame yourself, Mike. When you start doing that, you lose sight of everything else." He said as he pulled out his necklace and placed it around his neck.

James just stood there as the Animal's power was washed away by stinging silver, and shame took its place. There were times where his and the Animal's emotions were so intertwined that he didn't know his own feelings from the monsters. Was he angry, or the Animal? Was he happy, or was it the Wolf? James didn't know if he'd allowed the Animal to influence him, or did his _own_ emotions make him act the way he did?

Mike slowly got to his feet again and stood on shaky legs and stared at James. The werewolf was staring at the floor with an expression that just looked tired; exhausted, even. It was a far cry from the orange eyed snarl that had been glaring into his soul a moment ago. Mike made to move but winced. His chest ached something fierce where James had shoved him, and it felt like it would bruise.

James heard his hiss of breath and looked over at him, "…You alright?" He asked after a pause.

Mike took a deep breath and stared at the fire burning up the remaining oil on the floor, "Yeah." He said after an equally long moment and sighed.

James sighed deeply and said, "I'm sorry for what I said. About Josh's sisters. I…that was wrong."

Mike rubbed the back of his neck, not looking at James, "…Me too. About Jessica. It…It's not your fault." He grimaced in a mix of frustration, helplessness, and anger, "This night is so fucked!" He snarled.

"I know." James quietly agreed.

Mike leaned down to pick up the oil lantern he'd been carrying this entire time, but found the glass shattered, "Damnit. There goes our light." He swore. Mike turned and peered down the hallway scorched black by smoke and fire. There was a large, rusty door at the end of the tunnel that undoubtedly led deeper under the mountain. He looked at James and said, "Look, let's just…let's just keep going, okay?"

James just nodded at him. It was better to focus on getting out of here than dwelling on what had just happened, at least for now.

The door at the end of the hall opened with a heavy creak, and together, the two walked into darkness. Behind the door lay a tunnel that stretched off into shadow; dark and cold in equal measure. Old, rusty pipes lined the ceiling, the gray brick walls were damp with moisture, and decades-old grime coating the ground was stirred by James and Mike's boots as they walked. There were even a few barrels lying about that reeked of more oil. Mike decidedly avoided those. The deeper they walked, the darker it got. Mike flicked open the lighter he'd kept tucked into his pocket to offer some illumination.

Mike asked James, "You think this opens up somewh-Jesus!" And jumped when the lighter's glow cast a bright orange sheen across the whole of the werewolf's eyes that shone in the dark.

James flinched, but the reflective sheen didn't go away, "What?" He asked.

Mike waved a hand at his face, "Your eyes are fucking orange, man!" He stated, unable to properly describe how unnerving it was to see the reflective feature of an animal's eyes in a human face. Especially when you turn and see it peering out of the dark a few feet away from your own face.

James shifted uncomfortably and looked away, the reflective sheen fading with the shifting of his head, "Sorry." He mumbled, "I gotta see in the dark somehow."

Despite himself, Mike found his curiosity piqued, "What's that like?" He asked, "Seeing in the dark? Is it all green?"

James frowned. Not at the question, but how to describe it. After a moment, he said, "Not green; everything is just sorta grey. Don't see color too well. It's like a dimly lit room."

"Well…that's useful." Mike responded.

"Being a monster has its perks." James muttered self-deprecatingly as he scanned the tunnel.

Mike pursed his lips at the words and a troubled expression came over his face, "You're not a monster." He said.

James shot him a raised eyebrow.

Mike grimaced, "Look, I know what I said, but…" He paused, "Look, do you even know what you look like? When you…" He mimed clawing at the air and snarling. He looked so ridiculous doing it that James stared at him with his brow furrowed in bemusement.

"You know what I mean." Mike grumbled.

James was silent for a few moments before he looked at his hands and pictured coarse black fur and huge opposable paws tipped with long claws. He said, "I don't really know what I…what _it_ looks like. When it happens, well…I'm usually in too much pain to pay attention." James said that last part in a small whisper.

Mike winced when the memory of James' agonized screams came to the forefront of his mind before saying in a tight voice, "Well, if you did…look, it's pretty fucking hard to forget how I thought we were all gonna die that night. I _know_ that you can't control it, okay? I'm not stupid." He cut James off when he saw that he was about to speak, "I understand that. It's just…you'd have to see yourself, okay? You…you're fucking scary."

"…I remember the one that bit me." James said, still in that quiet whisper that spoke of painful memories, "I know I'm terrifying." James remembered alright. He remembered the monstrous form the size of a car that was like a bear mixed with a wolf. He remembered burning eyes, flashing teeth, and glinting claws…

Mike nodded towards his shoulder, "That's what that scar's from?"

James nodded once.

"That thing really fucked you up." Mike said with a grimace.

James laughed, low and bitter, "You have no idea." He declared.

Up ahead, James saw that the tunnel turned right, and said as much. Mike on the other hand stayed silent and pensive with a deep frown on his face. Just as they were about the turn right, Mike began to speak.

"The night the girls disappeared, we stayed up all night out looking for them. We all did. Beth didn't come back after she went after Hannah and it was almost an hour. We spent so long in those woods calling their names before we called the sheriff. After that, it was…it was bad. Nobody could find anything. We all went home early that winter." Mike stopped and took a breath, gathering his thoughts and words. James watched him silently and let him speak.

"What we did was fucking mean. It was plain fucking mean. It was cruel, and we shouldn't have done it in the first place." Mike spat with a disgusted look on his face, "At first I tried to justify what happened, you know? She shouldn't have gone out there in the first place, shit like that. The only reason I went along with it was because I wanted her to stop liking me. Hannah…she was nice, but…well, if you ask Sam, she'd tell you it was a crush, but it was like she was obsessed with me. Ever since we first met, and every day after that! Even when I'd have a girlfriend, she'd try to get with me. It started to freak me out. I mean, like I said, she was nice, but…sometimes she was just, I don't know, _off_. Anyway, that winter break, Hannah was all over me. She was always trying to touch me or get me alone…" He gave an uneasy laugh, "Hannah did not take no for an answer. I was with Emily at the time and, well, you know Em. She was _not_ having it. Her and Jess came up with the prank. If I knew what would have happened…" Mike shook his head as they rounded the corner, "I blame myself. Still do. And I regret it every single fucking day. I just try not to think about it." He looked at James and just shrugged his shoulders.

In a way, the two were very alike; both blamed themselves for the deaths of those they cared about, but while James never let himself forget, Mike did the opposite.

James gave no response to him other than a nod. There wasn't anything he could say in response to something like that; no words would ease Mike's torment, and James understood that all too well.

Mike nodded back. They had an understanding, now.

A moment later, James stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air. The smell of old blood and meat hit his nose and he said, "We're under the lodge."

"How can you tell?" Mike asked.

"The lodge smells like meat; old meat." He declared grimly, "I smelled it right before I got knocked out."

"What the fuck!" Mike said, disgusted, "Why?"

"I don't know." James said, "Unless Josh's family has a slaughterhouse in the basement?"

"Not that I know of." Mike said grimly.

They reached a dead end. Light coming from a grate towards the back of the tunnel provided minimal illumination against the gloom, and James pointed towards a set of steps leading up to a door on their right-hand side. Mike saw it and shut his lighter to move forward, eager to get the hell out of here. He tried to pull it open, but found the door barred from the other side.

"You got to be fucking kidding me!" Mike hissed. James tried his luck and shoved against it. When it didn't budge, he growled in frustration.

"Can you break it down?" Mike asked him.

"It doesn't swing inward, so it's not like I can just kick it in." James grunted. He was more likely to send himself falling backwards off the steps if he tried.

Mike raised an eyebrow at him, "I've seen you pick up a truck and crush a pistol with your bare hands. I think you can handle a door." He said.

"I mean, I can _try. _Just give me some room, okay?"

Mike obliged and stepped back while James stood on the steps and examined the door for any weak points. Behind him, Mike looked about the dead end the tunnel brought them to and walked over to the grate to see if he could get an idea of where they were. When he peered inside, his eyes widened when he saw Sam, clad in nothing but a dirty towel, slumped in a chair with her hands tied behind her back and ankles bound. Both her knees were bloody, and her skin was smudged with dirt.

"Sam?" He whispered before calling out, "Sam!"

James was at his side in an instant. The orange had faded from his eyes, but it flared right back up again when he saw the state of her, "Sam!" He exclaimed.

Sam stirred in her chair with a groan and looked over towards them in confusion.

"Sam! Sam, wake up!" Mike hissed.

Sam blinked a few times before her eyes widened, "Mike? James? Is that you? What-"

"Get over here!" Mike said urgently.

It was a good thing her chair had wheels. Sam used her bare feet to push herself over to them as quickly as she could and presented her wrists bound with zip ties. Mike flicked open his lighter and used the flame to melt her binds, then gave it to her so that she could free her legs.

"Damn those things were tight…" Sam hissed as she got up and turned to squat down to their level, "Ugh, thank god you found me!" She said with a relieved sigh.

"It's okay. You're okay." Mike reassured her.

"_Are_ you okay?" James asked worriedly.

"I'm fine!" Sam replied shakily, "I don't understand-how did you get here? How did you find me?" She asked the two of them.

"There's some fucking maniac up here on the mountain!" Mike hissed.

"Yeah, I've noticed!" She said testily.

"He lives in this, like, web of tunnels! We were down there trying to get out and then I found this grate and saw you!"

"Sam, he knocked me out when I went outside to help Josh." James said and growled, "He killed Jessica."

"Oh god!" Sam gasped and squeezed her eyes shut. Mike did the same while James grimaced and glared off into space.

Sam looked back up at the two of them with pained and angry eyes before saying, "Listen, this guy who you're talking about? He attacked me! He showed me these videos, too. And one of them showed Josh being killed…just…ripped in half by this huge fucking sawblade!"

James jaw dropped and he stepped back as the horror and shock hit him like a physical blow. First Jessica, now Josh? A fucking _sawblade!?_

_**What about the others?**_

"Jesus Christ. What the fuck is going on around here!?" Mike swore.

Without another word James stepped away from Mike and jogged back towards the door while Mike asked Sam, "There's a door here. It won't open. Can you unlock it from your side?"

A loud CRACK of splintering wood filled the air. James had punched clean through the wood with all his might. He reached in up to his shoulder and floundered around until his hand found the bar and pulled it away.

"…Never mind." Mike declared and moved to follow.

James just about broke the door off its hinges opening it and came out into another hall with Mike hot on his heels. At the end of it, a door opened and out stepped Sam with her backpack slung over her back.

"Sam!" James called and ran towards her. Sam met him halfway and all but threw herself into his arms. They stood there for a moment, each shuddering in each other's embrace before Sam pulled away and looked the two of them over.

"Hey." Mike greeted from behind James with a wan smile.

"Jeez, you look like hell!" She told the two of them.

Mike and James both looked a combination of scratched, scraped, cold, grimy, soaked, and singed.

"Nice to see you too." Mike said as Sam went past them to walk between a pair of shelves, set her backpack down, and unzipped it.

"What are you doing?" Mike asked.

"Well actually, the towel didn't turn out to be the best outfit for fighting off killer maniacs you know?" She answered glibly.

"How the hell did you keep that on?" James asked once her full statement registered.

"I have _no_ idea." Sam replied as she began to pull out some clothes. When she saw the two hadn't turned away, she raised her eyebrow and said, "Do you mind? Guys?"

"Oh, uh, right. My bad." Mike fumbled and turned around along with James to give the girl some privacy.

A few minutes later, Sam said, "Okay. Done. Let's put this thing to bed." She said, getting rid of the filthy towel.

"Amen to that." Mike declared as they turned around to see Sam was now decked out in a red hoodie jacket, grey yoga pants, sneakers, and holding a flashlight.

James blinked, "Were you planning on going jogging? He asked in mild confusion.

"Not really important right now, James." She said as she walked up to them.

The sound of muffled yells reached their ears, so close that it sounded like it was coming from behind a door at the end of the hall.

"_Please!"_

"_I can't! I can't decide!"_

"What was that?" Sam asked slowly.

"That's Chris and Ashley!" James exclaimed with wide eyes. He ran into the hallway and slammed his shoulder against the door blocking his way. It burst off its hinges with a loud bang, and he stumbled into a dimly lit room with Mike and Sam hot on his heels.

A spotlight flicked on to reveal Ashley and Chris tied to chairs with a table between them. There was a setup involving rotary saws, a motor, and pulleys affixed to the ceiling above their heads. James spied a camera mounted on a tripod aimed at them off to the side. Chris and Ashley looked worse than he and Mike. Chris was sporting an enormous bruise on the left side of his head, and Ashley looked like she was covered in blood. They stirred when the light hit them, and James moved to help them, but movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention to the large figure lumbering into the room.

He saw stringy black hair, bloodstained overalls, gloves, a tool belt and a horrible mask that resembled the face of a porcelain doll with shattered holes for eyes and the nose and mouth portion cracked open to reveal pink gums with yellow teeth for the mouth.

James didn't think; he acted.

With a snarl, he launched himself across the room at full speed. The psycho barely had enough time to turn before James slammed into him like a freight train. The man cried out, his voice harsh and electronically altered, and hit the floor hard. James fell on top of him and grabbed the mask with one hand, tearing it off in one smooth motion, and pulled back his other fist to…

James froze with his fist pulled back in preparation punch in the face of Joshua Washington.

Behind him, Mike and Sam had begun working at the ropes tying Chris and Ashley to the chairs.

"What are you waiting for? Hit him!" Mike yelled frantically.

James did not. Instead, he slunk off Josh's body and backed away.

"…Josh?" He asked in disbelief.

Josh stared at him for a moment with eyes that were wide and unfocused. Then, he began to laugh. He laughed as he lay there on the floor and he laughed as he began to stand up. He laughed when the others saw his face and cried out his name in surprise and horror, and he laughed as he walked around a stunned James towards the group.

"Oh, oh, very good!" Josh said between laughter, "Every one of you! You got my name! And after all you've been through! Good! Good, good, good, good! I mean, how does that feel? Right? How does it feel? Do you enjoy feeling terrorized? Humiliated? I mean, panicked? All those emotions that my sisters got to feel once one year ago? Only guess what? They didn't get to laugh it off! No! Nope! No, no, no! They're gone!" He finished loudly, throwing his hands in the air. His voice was manic and wild, and set everyone's teeth on edge.

"I don't know if you noticed this, Josh, but none of us are laughing!" Mike spat while the others just stared at him.

"Oh come. Come, come, come, come. Why the long faces? Come on! It's good to get the heart racing every now and then, right? And race they did. I mean, every one of you, just pitter-pat, pitter-pat!" Josh said while rapidly patting his hands together, "I hope you appreciated my little phantasmagorical spectacle! I mean, no detail too small! No opportunity missed! It was such a delight to play the puppet master t-to all your Pavlovian panic! And all that gore? I mean, gore, there was gore galore! Fake bodies! I mean…god, that shit was expensive! And no retakes! Nope, nope, nope; only double takes! Aw, you should've seen your faces. Hook line and sinker for every little stinker!" He finished with a chuckle.

"Josh why are you doing this?" Sam demanded, the hurt and anger clear in her voice.

"Don't even ask this squirrelly little runt! He's got no clue! He's out of his fucking tree!" Mike told her.

"He's definitely off his meds." Chris declared with a hard stare.

"Aw come on, you guys. Revenge is the best medicine!" Josh said in a delirious tone. His glassy eyes roamed across the room and he asked, "Right James?"

All eyes instantly flocked to the werewolf who had not moved since Josh started talking.

"…What!?" James hissed in confusion.

"I took your advice, man! What you said last Christmas, remember? Don't blame myself, blame what took them away!" Josh said all of this in a cheery voice and a smile that bordered on deranged.

James stared at him in horror, "No…no, Josh, I was talking about the _mountain!_ That's what took them away! Not your friends!" He shouted and stepped forward, throwing a hand towards the friends in question. It hit him a moment later and he stepped back, "You…you were the one who knocked me out, weren't you?" He asked softly.

"Well, duh! I couldn't let you get in the way!" Josh said, still smiling, "I mean, let's be real, you probably would have fucked _everything _up." Josh laughed.

"Why did you even invite me here?!" James exclaimed desperately.

"Whoa, calm down, dude!" Josh said, "I invited you up here because I knew you'd understand! You're like me!"

James just shook his head as confusion, anger, and what had to be the sting of betrayal swirled inside of him.

"You're done!" Mike growled at Josh.

"Mike, he's sick!" Chris told him.

"What? Come on, you guys are all gonna thank me when you guys become _internet sensations!"_ Josh told them.

"Wait, w-what?" Chris questioned.

"Oh, you better believe this little puppy is going viral ladies and germs! I mean, we got unrequited love! We got…we got _blood! _I don't think there's enough hard drives in _China_ to count all the views we're gonna get, you guys!" Josh said with that shaky laugh and smile plastered on his face.

Mike snapped, "What are you talking about, you ass hat? Jessica is fucking dead!"

Chris and Ashley stared at Mike in horror.

"What?" Josh asked dumbly.

"Did you hear me?" Mike asked as he stalked around the table towards Josh, "Jessica is dead…and YOU ARE GONNA FUCKING PAY, YOU DICK!" He screamed right before he punched Josh right in the face.

The taller boy went down with a cry and didn't get up when he hit the floor.

_**XXXXXX**_

_James_

Sam was in the lodge tending to Ashley's black eye. None of the blood covering her had been hers, thank god, but Josh had punched her out cold after she'd stabbed him with a pair of scissors. Mike and Chris were escorting Josh out to a shed in the woods. They'd tied his hands up with rope and were going to hold him there until morning. Emily and Matt were still nowhere to be found; Ashley said they'd went off to get help. As for him, he was on his hands and knees frantically digging through the snow around where Josh had jumped him-

"Come on, come ON!" He snarled.

-And completely failing to find his wolfsbane.

"FUCK!" He snarled and swiped up a cloud of snow in frustration. James kneeled there in the snow and cupped his face in his hands, "Where is it?" He moaned.

Oh god, he was so afraid…

He'd completely lost track of time. His watch had broken some time during he and Mike's escapade in the sanatorium, probably when the barrels exploded. If he didn't find the wolfsbane soon, he'd have to leave, plain and simple. He would not be a danger to others, not again! Speaking of the sanatorium, it wouldn't be a bad idea to use for a place to Change if things went bad. If he couldn't find his pouch of wolfsbane within the next hour, he'd head through the tunnel to the sanatorium, find somewhere to lock himself up and…Change. God, it had been over three months since his last transformation and thinking about it made him nauseous. He didn't want to go through it again; ever! He didn't _want_ to feel his body break apart piece by piece anymore! He didn't want to feel the maddening sensation of trillions of hairs sprouting everywhere! He didn't want to have his mind snuffed out like a candle in the breeze!

He didn't want to be a monster anymore…

James glared at the full moon shining bright in the sky. No, no _he_ was not a monster, the _Animal_ was the monster! That's why his necklace was back around his neck to push it back for just a little longer! He'd been so stupid to have it off for so long already, but the events of tonight had him relying on the Animal's power.

He wasn't a monster! He was a victim, just like everyone else tonight! This was _not_ his fault. Hell, Josh had terrorized the group worse than the Animal had! Worse, he'd done it for some…some sick sense of revenge! James had always thought Josh had seemed a little off, but this? WHY? Why do all_ this? _He couldn't wrap his head around it! Josh had to have been planning all of this well in advance considering the magnitude of his plan, but apparently, all it took was a few words from James that convinced him to go through with it.

Now, Mike was furious, Chris was a ball of hate and hurt, Ashley was a shaking wreck, and Sam…well, she was holding it together. Jessica was dead and Matt seemed to have joined her…

_**In a way…this WAS all his fault…**_

James violently shook his head. No, no stop that! He didn't do any of this! He hadn't traumatized Chris and Ashley or terrorized Sam! No!

_**No, he just dropped his wolfsbane and put everyone in danger when he shouldn't have come at all…**_

James cried out and punched the frozen ground in frustration, fear, fury, and hung his head in shame, "I don't want to be a monster anymore…" He whispered.

A loud, harsh _screech_ split the night air and instantly had James on his feet and scanning the woods with wide eyes. A minute later, it was followed by a scream that was decidedly human. On the other side of the lodge he heard banging on the door, and Emily's voice crying out, "Let me in! Let me in!"

James quickly ran in through one of the back doors and shut it behind him just as Sam and Ashley walked a shaking Emily into the living room. She was covered in snow, limping, and her face was smudged with dirt. Everyone was talking all at once.

"I didn't think that I'd make it!" Emily was saying.

"You were screaming bloody murder!"

"Are you okay?"

"You look totally wiped!"

"There was something-"

"Where's Matt?"

"Sit down, sit down!"

James quickly walked over to them, "Emily?" He called as they led her to the couch.

The girl looked at him with terrified eyes, "Something's out there!" She whimpered in a shaky voice.

"Did you guys split up?" Ashley asked about Matt again.

"A monster! It's a monster!"

"What!" James exclaimed.

"Wait!" Chris cut in. He asked Emily in a concerned voice, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I don't feel anything, I just need to calm down. It was moving _so damn fast_-" She blurted out before Chris cut her off again.

"What?"

"I just had to get away-"

"Away from what?" Sam asked her.

"Th-there was this thing, whatever it was-!"

"Em, Em, you can relax; Josh was messing with us but we-"

"You're not listening to me!" Emily insisted.

Chris asked, "Wait Em-where's Matt? Is he okay?"

"Matt-oh God. We couldn't use the cable car, so we climbed the tower and then it fell, and we were down in the mine, like _way_ down, down in this terrifying freaking mineshaft-"

"Hold on, hold on-" Chris tried to slow her down, but Emily was on a roll.

"-And then, it was Matt and me down there and…oh god I think Matt might be dead." She moaned.

James felt his eyes go wide and his breath catch in his throat.

_Jessica, now Matt-consumed by the blackness of the mines; swallowed up by shadow…_

"How?" Sam gasped in horror.

"Emily, what happened?" Ashley sounded like she was on the verge of crying.

"I-I was walking down there, in the mines, and it was dark, and I found this pile and…" Emily paused, before saying, "There was Beth's head."

James' mouth fell open.

"Wait, what!" Chris exclaimed in disbelief while the others stared in horror.

"Beth's _head_, I found it!" Emily affirmed.

"Oh my god!" Ashley moaned and curled into a ball in the corner of the couch.

"What the fuck!" Chris gaped while Sam asked her if she was serious.

"YES, I'm serious!" She yelled before stating in a quieter voice, "I think they fell down there."

"Oh, Jesus Christ." Chris swore.

Emily hugged herself and went on, "But the worst part is I don't think Hannah died, like, from the fall, not right away…"

"Wait, what-what do you mean?" Ashley stuttered.

"I don't know...I feel like she was down there, like…starving to death for weeks while we were all up here looking for her. We had no idea!"

The thought of the mines and the darkness brought James out of his disbelief that another one of their group was dead. It brought him back to the sanatorium, and the figure in the heavy coat he and Mike had tracked there.

"Emily," He began, "Emily, was there anyone else? Anyone down there in the mines?"

Emily peered at him oddly, "Y-yeah, there was! There was this guy…" She stopped herself and shook her head, "L-listen, in-in the tower there was a radio and-and I got through to someone-"

The front door banged open and Mike came skidding to a halt before the couch a moment later.

"Em!" He cried in relief when he saw her. Emily stood up at the sight of him and they embraced each other, "You made it!" Mike sounded like he couldn't believe it.

"Oh, god, Mike!" She gasped as they separated.

"Yeah, yeah barely!" Chris said.

"What about Matt?" Mike asked after a moment.

"We're trying to figure that out!" Ashley told him.

"And there was this 'monster' that was chasing her…" Chris added.

"She's all messed up, guys." Mike told them as he looked her over. He looked into her shell-shocked eyes and called, "Emily? Hey, Em?"

Everyone froze when there came a loud rapping on the back door.

"Whoa." Chris started.

"Who the fuck can that be?" Mike hissed as the knocking started up again.

"Josh?" Ashley said softly.

"Jess?" Chris guessed.

"The guy from the sanatorium." James grunted lowly. Mike's head snapped towards him, "Dude, that was Josh!" He told him.

"Wait, you guys were at the sanatorium?" Sam asked, bewildered.

"That wasn't Josh." James said and tapped his nose, "Scents weren't the same."

"Oh shit." Mike swore.

The rapping came again, louder this time. James faced the door with a glare, and Mike gave him a firm nod, "I got your back." He said to him.

James nodded back.

"Me too." Chris added after a moment.

As the three approached the back door, James reached into his shirt to grasp the silver links beneath. _One more time_, he told himself before he removed his necklace. The Animal's strength filled him, and he glared at the familiar outline of a heavy coat standing just outside the door. From here, he smelled tobacco mixed with oil, the same oil from the barrels in the sanatorium. The two scents were the ones that he'd gotten a whiff of while chasing down Mike and Jessica.

Mike and Chris stood in front of the door while James slunk off to the side. If whoever was out there tried anything, he'd blindside them.

"Really wish I had a gun right now." Mike said while staring at James.

James looked at him, "Well, you shouldn't have pointed it at me." He told Mike simply.

"Wait? What?" Chris asked, looking thoroughly confused.

"Oh, you would've been fine." Mike waved him off.

James rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about it." Mike told the blonde boy and said to James, "You wanna get the door?"

"Why can't you get it?" James asked.

"I mean, I would, but I don't have a weapon…like a machete."

"Oh, I'm _so sorry _for saving your fingers!" James groaned sarcastically, "Next time there's a bear trap, I'll let you stick your whole hand in there!"

Chris was looking between them with an expression that looked both fascinated and horrified.

"Just saying, I could've had a gun _and_ a machete-"

"Mike-"

"-Been a total badass!"

"Mike!"

"For god's sake!" Chris hissed, "_I'll _get the door!" And crept forward to lay a handle on the doorknob. He barely so much as turned it before the person on the other side kicked it in and knocked Chris on his ass.

The man who stepped inside was the definition of the word grizzled. He looked to be in his early fifties. Grey stubble covered a dirty face that was rough and windburned from spending long hours in the cold, equally greying and greasy hair came down to his neck, and he was missing several teeth in the left side of his mouth. His clothes were meant for winter; a heavy green coat with a fur lined hood, a dark sweater underneath, thick pants, gloves, and worn boots meant for trudging through snow, a knit cap covering his head, and a bandanna wrapped around his neck along with a pair of round goggles. What looked like a dreamcatcher hung from his neck. The most noticeable feature of the stranger was the flamethrower strapped to his back with the butt of a shotgun peeking out from behind the canisters.

James came at the stranger from the side before he could take another step in and grabbed the man's right shoulder to pull him closer. At the same time, the stranger's hand dove into his coat to pull a knife that he pressed to James throat when the werewolf shoved him against the window. The man's left eye was blue, and the other was cloudy and pale. James could see why; scars ran down over the man's right brow and across his eye. He instantly knew they were claw marks.

They glared at each other; fearless and unblinking.

"You best let me go." The stranger said in a rough voice after a moment.

"No." James grunted. The blade pressing a tad harder against his throat made him realize he was at a disadvantage. Still, he had his one hand still gripping the man's shoulder. He could squeeze until bone cracked if he tried anything, but could he heal from a slit throat fast enough?

"James," Came Emily's shaky voice, "T-that's the guy! That's the guy from the mines!"

The man's good eye narrowed, "I saved her." He told James. His tobacco breath wafted across James' face when he said, "Saved her from what killed the other girl."

James eyes narrowed.

"James?" Mike questioned from the side.

Slowly, James relaxed his grip and stepped away from the stranger, idly rubbing his throat, "You try anything…" James let the threat hang in the air.

The man put his knife away and rolled his shoulder once before saying, "Okay. Everybody just calm down! Now just move over there! Go on, move! Let me say what I came to say." He said and began to walk into the living room, Mike and Chris hurried into the living room while James kept in from of the man and kept an eye on his every move. Once they were all in the living room, the man began in earnest, "I'm here to tell you what you're up against being back on this mountain. You should never have returned." He walked closer to the fire as they sat around the couch and undid a drawstring bag from his belt, "I don't know why you did after what happened last year." He said as he dropped it by the hearth.

"You mean with Hannah and Beth?" Ashley asked timidly.

"Yeah, how could you know without being involved?" Chris asked suspiciously.

"Or responsible?" Sam added firmly.

The stranger turned to them with an annoyed expression, "You hold onto your horses. I don't take kindly to you kids coming up here to my mountain-"

Mike spoke up, "Your mountain? I'm sure the Washington's would be very surprised to hear that."

The stranger chuckled in response and said, "Well, this mountain don't belong to me, its true, but it don't belong to the Washingtons." He growled, "This mountain belongs to the _Wendigo."_

"Who?" Chris asked him.

"What's he talking about?" Sam asked Ashley. The witch in training didn't look to have any answers herself and gave a tiny shrug.

Mike and James shared a confused glance, "What the hell's a Wendigo?" Mike wondered aloud.

No one had any answers, so Sam spoke up again, "Let's hear him out." She said.

"Not like we have a choice." Mike sighed, crossing his arms.

"Now I'm only gonna tell you this once. It doesn't matter to me if you believe it or not." The stranger said seriously, "I got reasons I wanna…get it off my chest." He added, glancing off to the side with a troubled expression.

"See? I told you! He's guilty as shit! Guilty as something!" Mike said to the rest of them and jabbed a finger at the stranger.

"Shh! Shut up, Mike!" Sam shushed him.

The stranger turned around and stared up at the ceiling for a moment before he began, "There is a curse," He declared and turned to face them, "That dwells in these mountains. Should any man or woman resort to cannibalism in these woods, the spirit of the Wendigo shall be unleashed." He intoned as he looked over them.

"…Oh crap." Mike whispered. James watched as he stared off into the distance with the look of someone who was remembering something that disturbed him.

Mike wasn't the only one. The realization that the scent of sheer death that had driven the animal mad with rage came back to him, and James suddenly realized just what he had smelled.

The stranger began to speak again, "You're going to need to find somewhere safe." He told them.

"The basement might be okay." Sam suggested.

"Okay. Get down there, now. All of you. And wait."

"What! Why? For how long?" Sam asked.

"Until dawn." Emily said softly.

James swallowed hard. He wouldn't make it until dawn, now. Hell, he probably had less than a few hours left, at least. He could feel the moon tugging at him, and his clock was ticking. None of them knew they were in danger of him once more. He had to leave, _now._

"Guys." Mike said and looked up, "I ran off and left Josh when I heard screaming."

James closed his eyes with a grimace, "Oh crap." He hissed.

"Where did you leave him?" The stranger asked.

"In the shed."

"Ahh, your friend will already be dead." He declared solemnly with a bob of his head.

Chris stood up, "No…n-no, he can't be! We were just with him!"

The stranger shook his head, "A lot can happen quickly on this mountain."

"No. I'm gonna go get him!" Chris declared.

"You can't go out there, Chris!" Ashley told him.

"I'm supposed to be his friend and I let him down!"

"No!" Ashley stated firmly, "He let you down, Chris-he let all of us down!"

"I don't care! I'm going to get him."

The stranger stepped forward, "Then I'll go with you." He said.

"I-I don't need your help-"

"Going alone is suicide." The man reaffirmed.

James stepped forward, "I'll go too." He said.

Chris opened his mouth to speak but stopped and looked James up and down, "You sure?" He asked.

James nodded and leaned closer to Chris, "I know what it smells like." He spoke lowly, "I'll know if anything's out there." James glanced over at the stranger who was watching him with his eye narrowed suspiciously.

Chris stepped back and looked between James and the stranger, "Fine." He said after a moment.

The stranger stepped forward, "The rest of you, get down to the basement. Be safe. Don't go outside again until we're back." He walked up to Chris and James and told them, "You don't seem to understand the magnitude of the situation."

"Well, we're going to get Josh, aren't we?" Chris said back.

"No, _I'm _going to get Josh. You two are going to help me. Do you understand?"

"Uh…"

James put a hand on Chris' shoulder, "We understand." He told the stranger.

The man pointed at them, "You need to follow me and do _everything_ I tell you." With that said, he turned and began to walk towards the front door with Chris and James trailing behind him, leaving everyone else watching them leave.

They stopped by the front door and the stranger pulled the shotgun from his tank and turned to hand it to Chris, "This is the end you point towards the thing you want to kill."

"I know how to use a shotgun, man." Chris said lightly.

"No, you don't." The stranger told him.

"What? How do you know?" Chris asked incredulously.

The stranger huffed a laugh, "Trust me. I know." He said with a humored expression. His eyes slid to James, "Don't have anything for you." He said matter-of-factly.

"I'll manage." James grunted. The stranger's eyes flicked over him with that oddly searching gaze before he turned and opened the door. Cold wind and snowflakes swept inside, and Chris and James shared a brief look before they steeled themselves for what was to come.

"Hey…" Ashley's soft voice came from behind them. The girl stood behind them with Sam at her side.

"Come back safe." The redhead said to Chris and stepped forward to reach up and plant a kiss on his lips.

Despite himself, James smiled. About time, he thought to himself as Chris stuttered and spluttered. Then Sam stepped up to him and for a moment, James thought she was going to kiss him, too, but instead she stared into his eyes and said, "You too, okay?"

"We need to hurry, son." Came the stranger's voice.

James let his eyes roam over her face, trying to commit every detail to memory. Something inside him said that there was a chance he might not see her again. His hands went into his pocket and pulled out his necklace.

"I want this back." He said and held it out to her. The silver links pooled into her cupped palm, the tags softly clinking together. Sam looked up from them to stare at him again and nodded once. James nodded back stepped out the door to join the stranger.

Chris said to Ashley, "I'll see you soon." Before he joined them as well. There was a noticeable pep to his step as he walked out onto the front porch.

"So…so tell me. You're the expert on these 'things'." He said to the stranger as Ashley shut the door behind them, "What's, uh…what's a guy gotta know?"

Good question, James thought.

"You just be careful. You follow my lead." The stranger said as he began to descend the porch steps.

"So…how many times do I have to shoot it with this shotgun before it's dead?" Chris asked.

"Well, you'd be shooting it a long time." He answered as they reached the bottom and looked out onto the path leading to the shed. James stopped to take a brief sniff of the air.

Nothing.

Chris sputtered, "You mean this won't even kill it?!"

The stranger spoke as they began to walk, "No…but it'll slow it down."

"Well how do you kill it?" Chris demanded.

"They don't like fire."

"I don't like fire-"

"Let him talk, Chris." James interrupted. He wanted to hear this.

"They fear it, and it can kill them-if you have to! See their skin is like…it's like tough armor, unless you burn it off first."

James' eyes narrowed. _If _you have to? The way he said that made it sound like killing is optional.

"Why wouldn't you want to kill them?" James asked.

The stranger glanced at him, "The spirit of the wendigo is what mutates humans." He said after a moment, "You can destroy the body, but the spirit will be freed. It'll roam the mountain like a dark wind, searching for someone else to influence into cannibalism, and the cycle starts again."

"There's no way to kill the spirit?" James asked.

The stranger shook his head, "There used to be a way, but it was lost when the Cree were pushed from their mountain."

"Well, what are these things like?" Chris piped up, "Are they just crazy unpredictable or…I mean, can you figure out what they're gonna do?"

"Well, they adhere to some patterns. Like any animal…or human."

"Wh-you mean, like how?" Chris glanced at James, "Like, they've got schedules? Only come out on the full moon, stuff like that?"

"Well, they only hunt at night." Came the answer.

"Oh…why?"

"I didn't ask." Came the annoyed reply.

James could guess why. Night was an ideal time for predators to hunt. Not only that, but humans did not do well in the dark, especially with things they couldn't see.

"Any, uh, pro wendigo tips? Like if I rub garlic over me, they won't be able to smell me or something?" Chris asked.

"Oh, they'll still smell you." The stranger rasped.

"Anything like that?" Chris bit out.

"They can't see you if you're standing still. It's like toads," The stranger said with a small chuckle, "Sight is based on changes of movement in their field of vision."

"So, if I don't move, I…I'm basically invisible." Chris deduced.

"Yeah. Well, I wouldn't recommend testing it out…unless you have no other choice."

That was good to know, James thought before he asked, "Anything else you can tell us about them?"

He wanted to know what he was up against. If they encountered one of these wendigos…well, he and Chris didn't have the luxury of lugging around a flamethrower, and Chris might be a deadeye in the shooting range, but if this thing was fast like Emily had babbled about, and it got in close, James wanted to know if he could at least hold it off while the others escaped.

"They're strong." The stranger declared grimly, "Fast, too, and they got claws can cut through just about anything."

That…didn't reassure him at all.

Chris spoke up once again, "If these things…wendigos…are or were human…do they still have some aspect of humanity in them?"

"Well, they retain certain things." The stranger said offhandedly.

"I mean is it really right to kill them?"

The stranger huffed a laugh.

"Maybe they can be cured or-"

"Heh, they surrender human rights the moment they _eat _one another. There is no cure. There is no redemption."

"I mean if they're still human I don't know if its right to hurt them."

"When you're staring one in the face, it's them or you. You feel free to take the high road. You won't be on it for long." The stranger dismissed.

"Oh." Chris muttered.

Finally, they reached the shed. The doors were open, but when they looked inside, they saw only an electric lantern illuminating a broken stool and blood smeared on the ground, but no sign of Josh.

"On no!" Chris muttered as he beheld the empty shed, "Damnit, what happened?"

Chris looked around the shed, but there was no hide nor hair of the boy in question. All the while, James and the stranger stood by the door and kept and eye on the snowy woods surrounding them. James hadn't smelled or heard anything, but the stranger beside him was tense and wary.

"He's gone! We're too late!" Chris moaned.

"Quiet!" The stranger hissed.

A distant cry echoed through the trees; a chittering screech like nails on a chalkboard that sent everyone's hair on end. Then James smelled it. It was the same one he'd smelled before Josh knocked him out and the same one mixed with Jessica's blood outside the cabin.

_Death._

A low rumble worked its way past James teeth as the Wolf inside him filled the forefront of his mind.

_**Kill it!**_

"We gotta go." The stranger said, "Right now!"

"We gotta find Josh-he could still be out there!"

The stranger barked a laugh, "Ha! First, the wendigo, he'll render you immobile." He walked right up to Chris and stared into his eyes, "And then he strips the skin off of your entire body, piece by piece. And then he keeps you alive and aware and feasts on your organs. One. Piece. At a time!"

_**Kill the Cold One!**_

James eyes roamed the woods. The smell was growing stronger, _closer, _but he couldn't hear or see anything! The Animal was fully awake now. Its thoughts filled his mind.

_**Kill them all!**_

"So, the lodge, then." Chris muttered.

"Let's go now." The stranger said to Chris as he walked out into the snow, "It might still be near!"

Chris passed James, but stopped and turned around when he didn't follow, "James?" He asked.

James breath came out in heavy pants and he gripped the frame of the shed as hard as he could. The Animal's fear and rage was filling him to the brim, and he felt it now, more than ever; the pull of the moon, and the Animal would _not_ be denied.

"Dude, come on!" Chris hissed.

The doorframe audibly cracked beneath his grip. He lifted his head to look at Chris, who let out a gasp and stepped back.

He didn't need a mirror to guess what color his eyes were.

"My god…" The words came from the stranger, who stood a ways away and was staring at James with a slack jaw and wide eyes. The man took a single step back, and the audible crack of a branch came from under his boot.

James heard it; a rapid _crunchcrunchcrunchcrunch_ of something scuttling up the trail towards them at a rapid pace with the smell of _death _looming closer. James forced himself to move forward.

"It's coming!" He all but shouted.

"RUN!" The stranger yelled, but not in response to James. His eyes were on the trees, on the trail up ahead, "GO! NOW! NOW!

They rounded the corner of the shed, but they didn't get far.

It jumped out from the brush onto the middle of the trail, low to the ground on all fours like an animal, but this…this wasn't an animal.

The stranger had been right. These things were not human. Not anymore.

The first thing James noticed was how _skinny_ it was. It was long and lean with gangly limbs and an emaciated frame. It was completely bald, its skin was a corpse-gray, and its mouth was stained a muddy red with dried blood. Its large, pale eyes were set deep in its thin face and glared at them with hate and hunger and reflected the fire that spewed forth from the stranger's flamethrower before it jumped away like a leaping elk.

"HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK?!" Chris yelled.

"BACK! BACK!" The stranger yelled as he torched the surrounding area.

James frantically whipped about as he searched the area for the monster. Where had it gone? The creature's death-scent was mixed in with the smoke and fire and made it hard to track. How could something so skinny move so fast!?

"GOD _DAMN-" _Chris exclaimed.

"We're right out in the open!" The stranger growled before yelling, "WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!"

It leapt down from one of the trees surrounding them and hopped towards the stranger like a demonic frog. Its mouth was open wide, splaying a mouth full of crooked and pointy teeth like an anglerfish as it stretched out with hands caked in dried gore and long nails sharp enough to slice through bone.

It was fast; so, _so _fast that the stranger didn't see it coming.

But James did.

With a roar, the werewolf tackled the wendigo midair and sent them both tumbling into the snow. They landed hard in a flurry of flailing limbs, confused screeches, and furious growls. James struck with all his might, punching and hitting every inch of exposed flesh he could, but it was like punching solid ice! The wendigo, on the other hand, had a strength that matched his own and tore deep gouges into his yielding flesh as they lay there on the ground, struggling.

The next thing James knew, the wendigo was crouched on top of him and he was howling in pain as it dug filthy nails deep into his side. He seized it by the wrist to pull them out, but then its other hand came for his face and he grabbed that one, too. It took all of his strength to hold the wendigo's claws back, and the monster leaned forward to scream into his face. The sound was deafening, and the stench of its breath was nearly enough to knock him out. What looked like the flattened remains of a bullet was pancaked into the right side of the wendigos head. The sight brought him back to the moment of Jessica's descent into the darkness, and Mike had fired into the air. The thought of what if this was what Mike had been aiming at flashed through his mind.

The realization that _this_ was what had killed Jessica struck him full-force, and his own rage joined that of the Animal.

James screamed with effort as he planted his boot into the monster's hollow stomach and kicked as hard as he could. The wendigo flew back like it had been shot from a cannon and bounced off the side of the shed with a furious screech. Quick as a flash, it was back on all fours, hissing like a snake; its movements sharp and jagged, spidery, even, as it darted along the ground.

The werewolf grit his teeth against the pain from the many wounds dripping blood onto the snow, but it quickly faded as they knit shut, quickened by moonlight, and he rose to his feet as the wendigo focused on him and unleashed another one of its shrill screams. The sound made his teeth ache and blood thunder in his ears. The Wolf was at the forefront of his mind, now. He could feel it's power coursing through his body, strengthening his limbs and fueling him with vigor. He felt primed like the trap that nearly took Mike's fingers; one move from the monster and he would _**snap and tear and bite!**_

As he stared down the wendigo, James felt his throat constrict and his chest heave. He didn't have time to wonder why the Wendigo sent the Animal into such a fury, he just knew that it _did_. Right now, he needed, no, _wanted _its strength and power! His head was fuzzy with both his _and_ the Animal's rage calling out for the wendigos blood. Another wave of raw _**instinct **_wracked his body, and James didn't bother resisting. James threw back his head and let out a bestial _howl_ that shook the air around them; the sound echoing through the trees and across the mountain.

The wendigo drew back with teeth bared and an expression that almost looked surprised before it stood up, rising high into the air with a height over seven feet, and glared at James with a look of sheer hatred. Another rattling scream issued forth from its throat; a sound of challenge that James answered with a furious growl.

The ear-splitting BANG of a gunshot filled the air, and the wendigo was blown off its feet and smashed against the side of the shed with a surprised screech.

James whirled to see Chris pump the shotgun and yell at him, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? LET'S GO!"

In that moment of distraction, the wendigo was up and moving. It turned towards Chris with a hiss before it launched off the wall with claws outstretched. Chris turned with wide eyes and screamed as the wendigo collided with him. His back hit the snow and he looked up into the leering face of the monster squatting over him with a scream leaving his lips.

"GET OFF HIM!" Yelled the stranger. His boot planted against the wendigo's side and kicked it off Chris. The monster twisted and locked eyes with the stranger right before it lunged. Close as he was, the man couldn't use his weapon without risking burning Chris, and the distance between him and the wendigo was too short.

The wendigo seized the stranger by the neck, lifted him up into the air, and slammed him onto the ground. The stranger let out a strangled yell that turned into a cry of pain when the wendigo seized his left thigh. Its claws sank deep into his flesh, and the wendigo twisted its fingers deeper with a cruel smirk playing across its twisted features. Then, it reached for his head-

Strong hands wrapped around its calf and yanked it _back._

The monster hit the snow, flailing and screeching, but couldn't gain traction as it was dragged across the ground in an arc. James held the wendigo by the leg, teeth bared in a snarl, and his eyes blazing wolfen orange. The creature twisted and thrashed, but James planted his feet and began to spin in place, hauling the wendigo with him. Despite the creature's height and strength, it was surprisingly light. When James let go, it sailed through the air and _cleared_ the shed. There was a crash of brush and twigs on the other side followed by the wendigo's angry cries.

James stood there, panting hard and angry breaths. A loud groan pulled his attention back to the stranger, who was gripping his leg with his face drawn tight with pain. Blood seeped between his gloves and he struggled to get up. Chris fell at the man's side and swallowed at the damage.

"A-are you okay?" Chris asked him.

"Does it _look _like I'm okay?" The stranger groaned through gritted teeth.

"He's not gonna make it to the lodge." Chris said grimly and looked up at James with wide eyes, "Can you carry him?" He asked in a pleading voice.

James took a moment to calm down enough to respond, "I can't carry him _and_ fight that thing off!"

Chris stood up and hefted his shotgun, "I'll cover you!" He declared.

James stared at him, "Chris-"

The wendigo's scream had them turning back to see the monster dart around the side of the shed and leap towards them. Chris took aim and fired at pointblank range, blasting the wendigo back into the snow.

"Grab him, dude!" Chris shouted as the wendigo shook itself and got up without a scratch on it, "I don't know how many bullets this thing has!"

James tore his gaze away from the wendigo and knelt by the stranger where he began working him free from the straps of his flamethrower.

"Hold on!" James grunted as he pulled him free.

"You're a Wolf!" Came the pained gasp from the stranger.

James froze, "What?" He gasped.

The wendigo crouched low and made to lunge again. James saw it and his eyes narrowed, "Chris, duck!" He yelled.

Fortunately, Chris listened. He threw himself to the side just as the wendigo pounced.

The stranger's flamethrower assembly smashed into its face a moment later and sent it sprawling. It quickly righted itself and pounced at them again, but Chris fired without a second thought and the tanks exploded in a fireball. The blast sent the wendigo flying off into the trees again and knocked Chris on his back. James shielded his face from the blast while also covering the stranger.

"Fuck yeah!" Chris cheered as he scrambled to his feet.

James took a moment to wonder if anything _else _was going to explode tonight before he grabbed the stranger's arm to lift him onto his shoulder in a fireman carry. The man grunted in pain, and James apologized before he turned to Chris.

"Run!" He bellowed as they turned together and pounded down the trail.

"Told you I knew how to use this thing!" Chris yelled gleefully as he ran beside him.

The wendigo's hungry screeching had them running faster. The stranger's weight slowed him, but he still ran faster than Chris. A fallen tree that had not been there before blocked their path at chest height, but James only stopped long enough to step up to it with a growl and bring his free fist down on the wood as hard as he could. The tree broke clean in half, and James pushed forward. Behind him, Chris stopped and turned to see the wendigo hopping down the path towards them. He took aim and fired again, knocking the monster out of the air mid-leap.

"Yeah! Suck it!" Chris taunted and kept running. The lodge was in sight! He could see it! They'd ran down the path that led to the back of the lodge. He saw James making his way through the backyard towards the door with the flamethrower guy still slung over his shoulder. The werewolf turned and they locked eyes just as Chris hopped the short drop from the trail.

He must have landed on his ankle wrong because when he landed, agony shot through it and he cried out.

"Chris!" He heard James call.

Wincing in pain, he forced himself to stand and limped forward as fast as he could.

The skinny shape of the wendigo appeared on top of a wooden roof covering a barrel Chris knew was used for spare fuel for generators. Before he could react further, the wendigo leapt at him. Time seemed to slow down for him again as he took aim and fired, blasting the wendigo into a patch of brushes, but this time it got up faster than usual, screeching at him angrily.

This time when it jumped, Chris shot the barrel.

"Jesus!" James yelled as another explosion rocked the night. He'd been about to set the stranger down to help Chris, but the blonde boy seemed to not need any.

"Come on, come on!" He yelled as Chris hobbled towards him. He and Chris pounded on the door until Ashley appeared with wide eyes. Behind them, James saw the wendigo scuttling around the stray flames while staring at them hungrily. James glared right back and snarled.

"Oh, thank god! Let us in, quick!" Chris yelled as the witch opened the door for them. They all but shoved themselves inside and James slammed the door behind them and locked it.

"Oh my god, what happened!?" Ashley exclaimed as she took in James' torn and bloody clothes, Chris limping, and the moaning stranger still slung over James' shoulder.

"We gotta go!" Chris yelled as the shrill roar of the wendigo was heard outside, "That thing was like right behind us!"

Ashley yelled in fright when she saw the wendigo leap in line with the door, crouched low, and leap forward with its long arms outstretched.

"Oh god!" She screamed.

"Go! Go, go, go, go!" Chris yelled.

James didn't need to be told twice and hurried after them with the smell and cries of the wendigo chasing after him as they ran into the safety of the lodge.

**XXXXXXX**

**Hope you had a great Christmas everybody! I wanted to at least have this out by then, my own little Christmas gift to you, if you will! **

**LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE 1****ST**** ROUND OF WWE (WENDIGO VS WEREWOF EXTRAVAGANZA) HAS ENDED! LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FIGHT IN THE REVIEW SECTION! **

**Next chapter, questions will be answered, secrets revealed, and an orange-eyed beast strains against its chains! **

Edit: fixed grammar mistakes as well as spelling ssues and some plot points... I am so sorry. big chapters always have something that I miss.


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14: Revelation_

They went down into the basement where Mike was waiting to lead them deeper into the remnants of the old motel the lodge was built on top of. It soon became apparent to James why the lodge smelled; the gutted body of a pig had been hung up in the old hotel's kitchen with bloody tools deposited in the sinks. They went even deeper into the old hotel and Mike brought them into a fenced-in room that looked out over where Chris and Ashley had been tied up. The place had been turned into a sort of control center by Josh. Computer monitors displayed various parts of the lodge, and there was a corkboard covered with blueprints, marked photos of locations on the property, a map of Blackwood Mountain, and pictures of everyone's faces sans James.

Mike shut the gate behind them, "The hell happened out there?" He demanded as they packed inside. The stranger was still slung across James shoulders and was grunting and wheezing in pain.

"T-the wendigo!" Chris gasped as he limped over to rest on a table, "It almost tore us apart!"

James turned and walked towards a large desk propped against the back wall. With his free hand, he tossed the chair aside and swept the lamp and books off it.

"Help me!" He demanded.

Ashley and Sam came over to help him lower the stranger onto the desk. The man hissed and groaned as they lowered him onto his back.

"What happened?" Sam demanded.

"His leg!" James growled.

"Let me see!" She demanded and shoved herself next to him. The stranger, who was holding his leg with a grimace, allowed his gloves to be gently pried away by Sam.

Ashley gasped and covered her mouth when they saw all the blood pouring from the injury.

"Jesus!" Sam swore before she jumped into action, "Okay…okay, we need to hold it at a level above his heart. Get his leg up! Ashley, give me your belt! I'm gonna need to apply pressure." The girl froze for a minute before complying. Sam turned back to the stranger, "I need something to cut his pants. Anyone got a knife?"

"Here…" Came the pained rasp from the stranger. The man held the knife he'd pressed to James' throat out to her in a shaking hand, "Left pocket…" The man hissed, "Flask…"

James reached around and felt about the man's coat until he pulled out a scuffed metal drinking flask. Sam snatched it out of his hand and unscrewed the cap to sniff it. She coughed when the smell of strong alcohol hit her nose and smiled grimly, "Good! James, hold his leg up. Mike, get over here and cut his pant leg open. Be careful!"

The boys instantly complied while Sam poured a splash of the booze into her palm and rubbed her hands together to disinfect them.

"I meant for me…" The stranger complained when he saw what she was doing. He winced when James held his leg further up and Mike gently began cutting away at his pants.

"I'm going to disinfect your wound." Sam said to him.

"This ain't my first rodeo, girl; it'll make things easier. Now, give it here!" He told her gruffly and reached out for his flask. Sam hesitated a moment before she handed it over. The stranger snatched it and took a few greedy sips. He let out a sigh and said, "There's a roll of bandages in my bag. I left it upstairs. One of you run up and get it."

"I-I brought it with me." Came Emily's timid voice. The girl reached under the table with all the screens on it and pulled out said bag before emptying it onto the counter. A book fell out, along with a roll of gauze with a couple safety pins. She brought the roll and some of the pins over quickly and placed it on the table beside Ashley's belt.

"You know first-aid, Sam?" Emily asked.

Sam nodded, "Things can happen on a farm. I wanted to make sure I'd be prepared."

Mike finally cut away enough of his pant leg for Sam to see five puncture wounds oozing blood, and her stomach dropped at the sight. She blinked when the flask was shoved under her nose.

"I think you're gonna need this more than me, blondie." The stranger said gruffly.

Sam took the flask, and after a second's hesitation, sighed and took a swig.

"Atta girl." He approved as she coughed.

Chris had hobbled up at this point and stood by his head, "You're gonna be okay, man." He promised. The man seemed to find what he said funny because he huffed a laugh and rested his head back against the wood with a resigned sigh.

Sam picked up Ashley's belt, "Guys, give me some room." She looked at their impromptu patient, "Ready?"

The man nodded, grit his teeth, and closed his eyes. Sam emptied the flask onto his leg, washing away some of the blood and making him hiss in pain. Quickly, she looped the belt above his wound, took a steadying breath, and tightened it. The stranger immediately grimaced and cried out in pain as blood gushed from the holes in his leg and James and Mike helped hold him still. The man reached out and seized Chris the arm to squeeze while Sam pulled the belt as tight as it could go.

She began barking out orders a second later, "Emily, unroll that gauze; I need it on his leg fast! Ashley, get over here! I need you to poke a hole in the belt with the knife."

Ashley hurried over and took the knife that had been placed to the side. James and Mike moved to make room for the smaller girl so she could stand next to Sam. Carefully as she could, Ashley worked the tip into the belt while Sam held it tight.

"Got it!" Ashley cried out a second later and stepped back so Sam could loop it through the strap and pull it tight.

"Emily, gauze!"

Emily took Ashley's place with the some of the bandage unrolled and ready, and Sam snatched it out of her hands, "Hold him still." She told the boys as she began winding the gauze around the bloody punctures. The stranger jerked in place and growled in pain. All the while, he had Chris in a death grip, but to his credit, Chris gripped the man's hand right back with a grim determination. Sam used up the entire roll in her quest to stem the blood and secured it with the safety pins.

"I don't think his femoral artery was hit." She said shakily a moment later, "If that was the case, he would have bled out already. We still need to keep his leg elevated. Find something to prop his leg on!"

Ashley and Emily glanced around before spotting the filing cabinet tucked in the corner, and it was tall enough to rest his leg on at an angle that Sam approved of. The sound of the two dragging it across the concrete made the stranger look up tiredly to see the girls prop it up against the desk and watched the group of youths maneuver his boot on top of it. He released Chris to grab his flask which miraculously hadn't been knocked off the table in his struggles, "This is the worst first-aid I've ever seen in my life." He groaned and emptied what droplets remained down his throat.

"Could be worse, man." Mike muttered. The man shot a glare at him that made Mike's lips zip shut before he peered at him oddly. After a moment, he asked in a low, confused voice, "…Is that my jacket?"

"Uh…" Mike floundered, "No?"

The stranger exhaled tiredly and slumped against the table, "I'm not even gonna ask."

"You're definitely gonna need a hospital, but I think you're gonna be okay for now!" Sam declared as she examined her work. She let out a shaky laugh and finally let go of the man's bloody leg. Her own hands were soaked with his blood.

"You hear that, flamethrower guy? You're gonna live!"

The man looked at her for a long moment before looking around at all of them. He sighed and stared back at the ceiling, "My name's Jack." He introduced himself after a pause, "Jack Fiddler."

"Nice to meet you, Jack." Sam panted with a tired smile.

Jack winced as he shifted slightly, "Figured you all might as well know it in case I don't make it through the night."

"No, you're getting out of here alive; we all are!" Sam affirmed. She went to swipe the hairs that had fallen in front of her eyes but paused when she saw the blood staining her fingers red. With a shaky exclamation of breath, she wiped them on her jacket and pants and stepped back. A moment passed where the eight young adults stood in silence around the wounded man.

All except James.

The werewolf suddenly stumbled as a wave of vertigo overtook him and he fell back against the fence with a groan, rattling the links.

"James?" Sam cried out.

"I-" The young man choked out before a spasm rocked his body and he cried out in pain. His legs gave out from under him and he hit the cold ground.

Chris straightened in alarm, "Guys?" He called.

James tried to speak, but the only thing that came out was a quite growl. His mind felt fuzzy and his heart was pounding in his ears and he _knew what was about to happen __**but ohgodwhynow? Why? Why now? **_

"What's happening?" Ashley cried out.

James lifted his head up to look at them, revealing eyes that were once again wolfen orange. The sight was familiar to the group at large, and they all began to step back with horror spilling into their hearts. The Animal howled in the back of his mind, the scent of fresh blood making its presence swell.

Mike's eyes went wide, "Oh fuck…" He hissed.

"B-but he took the wolfsbane, right?" Emily cried out.

"H-he said he dropped it…" Mike said as the group backed up from the werewolf, "When Josh jumped him…"

Sam fell to James' side with his necklace in hand. He looked at her with panicked eyes and reached out to grab the it, but the second his skin made contact, he yelped and dropped it. The scent of burnt flesh filled the air as smoke curled from his skin. James grimaced and looked up at them in absolute terror.

It was too late.

"Run!" James whimpered, fear filing his voice and eyes wet and wide as he felt the transformation coming, "R-RU-!"

A pouch was thrust in front of his face. A familiar, drawstring pouch with a scent that made the transformation pause. James followed the bloody glove holding it up to the scared visage of Jack. The older man was holding it out to him from his place on the table with a grimace.

James stared at him in shock before he reached out with shaking hands and snatched it. He nearly tore it open and tipped it into his palm, and the sight of the violet petals falling into his hand made him nearly sob in relief. Without a second thought, James popped one into his mouth. The familiar numbness followed by a burning throat and hacking cough was sweet, sweet relief to him as he collapsed onto his side, retching and shuddering. When the fit finally passed, he was helped upright by Sam, who stared at him with wide eyes.

James stared right back, still shaking and feeling sick, "I…" He croaked miserably. Tears of panic dripped down the sides of his cheeks as the realization of what had almost happened hit him full force, "I'm sorry!"

Sam pulled him into a hug. Her breath came out in shuddering gasps against his ear and James forced his weak arms to hug her back.

"Dude?" James looked up at Mike who was watching him warily, "You okay?" He asked. James figured he must have been still reeling from the wolfsbane because that almost sounded like genuine concern in Mike's voice.

"Yeah." He rasped, "I'm okay, now."

"James, didn't you take it?" Sam questioned, "Where's your wolfsbane?"

"I…I was about to take the next petal but then Josh…" He exhaled a shuddering breath as he cradled his head and shook from the aftershocks, "When he knocked me out, I dropped it. When I woke up, I smelled blood…heard screaming…I didn't think, I just ran."

"He's right." Mike affirmed.

Emily straightened from her place by the monitors. A sudden realization had lit in her eyes and they were locked on Mike, "Mike?" She asked in a small voice, "Where's Jessica?"

Mike turned to Emily who was staring at him with eyes that were wide with shock. She hadn't been there when Mike had screamed it in Josh's face, but when he said it this time, his words were quiet, sorrowful, and sad, "Jessica's fucking dead."

When he nodded, the girl stepped back like she'd been punched, "Oh…" She whimpered and seemed to curl in on herself.

Mike stared at the ground and ran a shaking hand through his hair, "The wendigo grabbed her. It must have followed us to the cabin."

Sam pulled away from him and stood up to look at Jack, "Why did you have that?" She asked the wendigo hunter, pointing to the wolfsbane pouch.

The older man looked at her with tired eyes before looking around at the rest of the group, who were now staring at him suspiciously, "I found it in the snow out back." He said gruffly and looked at Mike, "You said Washington's boy attacked him?"

Mike and James nodded.

Jack asked, "Why?"

"Well, he kinda turned out to be a psycho." Mike quipped.

Jack looked from Mike to James, and then to the rest of the group. Then, he let out a groan and said, "I knew that boy was up to something. For the last few months I've seen him around the property setting things up. I had no idea what he was doing. Didn't ask why, either."

"Why?" Ashley asked.

"I was busy." Jack grunted.

"You've been watching us." James declared from his place on the floor.

Jack winced as his leg throbbed with pain. His bandages were soaked red and his movements were sluggish, but he still kept talking, "Aye. I was. Always have been since the Washington's built this place and you kids started coming up here."

"Why?" The question came from Emily.

Jack had to turn his head to see her with his good eye, "Because I'm the only one keeping this mountain safe."

"From the wendigos?" Ashley asked.

"Well, it sure as hell ain't from werewolves." Jack slowly rotated his head to look at James, who stiffened and looked back at him with cautious eyes. Jack's eyes narrowed and his voice took on an indignant edge when he asked James, "You…where the hell have you been?"

James stared at him, "What?"

"Why the hell have you taken this long to get here!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" James snarled in confusion.

Jack's face fell, "You…you're not the one they found, are you?" He said solemnly. The man swore and rested his head against the desk with eyes shut tight in a grimace, but this time not from pain, "Oh _damn_…"

Everyone stared at the wendigo hunter with various degrees of confusion. He muttered something angry under his breath before he looked at James, "You…you were bitten?"

Slowly, James nodded with wide and confused eyes.

"And the one who bit you?"

James shook his head, "I…I don't know."

Jack stared at the ceiling again and glared off into space, "God damn it…" He growled before he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as more pain shot through his leg, "I knew it! I knew something went wrong!"

"Hey, uh, Jack? You mind clarifying things for the people who aren't in the loop here?" Mike asked.

Jack glared at Mike before he looked around at everyone staring at him, "How much," Jack hissed as he shifted to look at Mike, "Do you know about this mountain?"

"Aside from the fact that something really bad happened at the Sanatorium?" Mike fired back with a raised eyebrow. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, "I'm guessing the wendigos? I bet it has something to do with the missing miners."

Jack stared at him, "How-"

"We followed you to the sanitorium." Mike answered and stepped closer to him with eyes cloudy with anger and tossed a nod to James, "We thought you were the one who killed my girlfriend."

"Well, that wasn't me." Jack reaffirmed and his face twisted into a scowl, "It was the Makkapitew."

"…The what?"

"It's Algonquin…" Everyone turned to look at Ashley who was staring at Jack Fiddler with wide eyes, "It means…it means _one who has big teeth. _I…one day at work, we were talking about evil spirits. Waupun told me that name. She never went into detail, but I figured it was something bad."

Jack damn near shot up off the desk, "You're Wapun's student?" He asked incredulously as he stared at Ashley in astonishment.

Ashley stared at him in surprise, "You know Waupun?" She asked, just as surprised.

"Oh, I know the Three Crows…" Jack said with a faraway look in his eyes, "They helped me, long ago, before all this…how's Viranica doing?"

"She's, uh…she's good?"

Jack's smile might have looked a bit fond, "Good." He said quietly. His eyes once more roamed over them before settling on James, who was being helped to his feet by Sam, "They helped send me on the path I needed to travel. Sent me here. There's to this mountain than meets the eye." He said firmly.

James swayed on his feet slightly, sent a thankful look at Sam, and turned to Jack. He stared at the wounded hunter for a long moment before he asked, "What's the council?" He asked in a tired voice.

"The council of elders." Jack replied softly. His voice had lost its gruff edge and he was more tired with every sentence.

The wound was taking its toll on him and his body demanded sleep, but he would not. Not before he told these kids the truth, and by god he would! Even if it was the last thing he did! There was hope, now! Hope for Blackwood Mountain…he just needed to stay awake long enough to speak.

"They're the descendants of the Cree tribes that lived here, long ago. We never wanted the Washington's living here, not only because it's sacred land, but because the curse roams free. They were trying to protect them."

"We? You're a Cree?" Ashley questioned.

"On my grandfather's side." Jack answered.

"What does this have to do with me? What does _any _of this have to do with me?" James demanded.

"It's a long story; a legend only the Cree know. The wolf has always been special to this mountain…" Jack's eye bored a hole into James before he took a few panting breaths. He was losing strength with every word. The boy needed to know how important he was, but his friends needed to know what happened just as well. They all needed to know the truth of this cursed mountain, "Listen to me, all of you…you all need to know the truth. You kids," Jack looked around at the others, "You need to know what happened to your friends last year."

Everyone suddenly became very still.

"Hannah and Beth?" Ashley asked softly.

Jack nodded and grimaced, "Aye. Those girls…" Jack trailed off for a moment before taking a deep breath and began his tale in earnest.

"Many years ago, my grandfather hunted those possessed by the curse, but there was one that eluded him. The fiercest of all; the Makkapitew! It was a terrible thing, and my grandfather could not defeat it. Sometime after, the prospectors came to mine this mountain until a cave-in trapped the men and woke the curse again. There were dozens of men with no food, no light, and in that blackness the hunger came. They were consumed by their abominable cravings and driven mad. _Murderers_. Cannibals! Eating human flesh…And if you kill this monstrous thing, the spirit is released and swirls the mountain like an evil wind waiting to possess again. You best not kill them, I have tried. You can only trap them! Taunt them with fire…And after all these years, after many moons and many hunts, the Makkapitew still roamed free out of my grasp beyond my reach! Until one night, a year ago, I was finally able to get him in my sights! But we were not alone in the woods that night. While I was tracking the Makkapitew, it was tracking something else. The Makkapitew forced your friends over the mountain. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't save your friends…but I could avenge them. I hunted the wendigo down and I doused it with fire! The Makkapitew was _dead." _

He trailed off as he thought of all the monsters locked in cages, chained and screeching at him in rage, hate, and hunger. Once good men, now man-eating monsters that stalked the mountain for decades until he came. Jack slumped back against the table with a sigh that was both pained and relived. The screams of those two girls as they fell was something that would haunt him until the end of his days, especially after what had become of the one who survived. At least now these kids had some clarity. At least someone knew the story of an old hermit on a mountain who dedicated his life to hunting monsters. All of them were staring at Jack with expressions that were so many levels of grief, shock, anger, and even relief that it was enough to break his heart. But he had to focus. His eyes were getting heavy and he struggled to keep them open.

Jack forced himself to look at James, "Listen to me." He said and reached out to grip his arm, "Beyond the Sanatorium there's a clearing. You _must _go there. Follow the bow and arrow. Look for the totems…follow them…" Jack's eyes fell heavy and he slumped back against the desk with a deep sigh. Sleep overtook the wendigo hunter, and he dreamed of white butterflies that swarmed the mountain with the coming dawn.

James shook the man and checked for a pulse. His heartbeat was slow but steady, and his breathing came out in deep gusts. James slowly stepped back from the wendigo hunter and stared down at him with frustration and concern building inside him, "He's asleep." He said and turned to the rest of the group. Ashley was in Chris' arms, Emily was crying silent tears, Mike was staring at the floor with a shell-shocked expression, and Sam was shaking. He walked towards her and touched her fingers with his. Sam looked up at him with wet eyes. Without another word she threw her snaked her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest.

"Hold me? Please?" She asked in a deceptively steady voice.

James didn't need to be told twice. His mind felt fit to burst with all the madness of this night. The shock of nearly transforming made him feel sick and weak, but the shaking girl in his arms bolstered him and made him realize he had to keep it together. None of them were safe yet.

He called softly, "What time is it?"

Ashley extracted herself from Chris as he moved to take out his phone, "It's, uh…it's almost five o'clock." Chris answered.

"Okay, I….wait, five o'clock?!"

It had been five hours since midnight, and well past the last time he'd eaten his last petal.

He should have transformed in the sanatorium out there with Mike!

Why…why _hadn't he transformed yet?_

"James?"

He looked down at Sam, who was staring up at him worriedly.

"We need to get off this mountain. I think…I think it's affecting me. Affecting the Animal."

Mike seemed to have realized it, too, "We were down there for hours." He muttered.

"And who knows how long I was out after Josh got me." James said.

James looked down at Sam and drew strength from her bright green eyes. He pushed away all distractions and focused on getting out of here alive; forced himself into survival mode.

"How long until dawn?" He asked aloud.

"I don't plan on waiting that long." Mike declared and began walking around and checking the various entrances and exits, "Are these all the doors?" He asked.

"Yeah." Sam answered as she gently pulled herself from James' arms.

"Are you sure?" Mike asked as he checked every entrance and exit.

"What are you looking for?"

"Another way out." Mike answered as he walked up to the monitor screens and began examining them.

The others, sans Chris walked over to speak with him.

"Mike, I really don't think that's a good idea. We should stay put, right here, until dawn! At least we're safe down here!" Sam tried.

"Oh? Yeah? All wrapped up like a little Christmas present with a bow on top for that thing to tear us apart on Christmas morning?"

"I'm with Mike." James said, "We're not safe here if that thing gets in."

"People will come for us! In the morning!" Sam tried to convince them.

"You don't sound so sure." Mike told her.

"That is what'll happen," Sam said hesitantly, "Right, Em?"

"Y-yeah, I mean…right?" The girl answered.

"Well you can wait. I'm leaving." Mike said.

"Mike, there's no key for the cable car." Emily said, rubbing her shoulder.

"Josh!" Mike realized, "He's gotta have it!"

"Josh?" Sam questioned.

"One of his dirty little tricks." Mike muttered bitterly.

"Great. Great!" Sam declared dully.

"If that fucking thing got a hold of Josh…then…we're shit out of luck."

After a second of silence, Emily spoke up, "I don't know Mike, it's possible."

"What's possible?" Sam asked her.

"It may have taken him down to the mine."

"What?" Mike asked.

"I saw some horrible stuff down there." Emily said, turning around to face the corkboard, "I think it's where that thing lives and…huh…"

"Em?" Sam called as Emily reached picked up Jack's book.

Mike looked at James, "You coming with?" He asked.

James gave him a single nod.

Mike nodded back and said, "Good. We're gonna get that key. Right from that thing's goddamned bedroom and then we're gonna get us all the hell out of here!"

The girls were busy rummaging through the stranger's things and stuff on the corkboard. Curious, the boys and Ashley walked up to see what had them so interested.

"Em, what is all that?" Sam asked.

"It was in his bag." Emily said and motioned to the unconscious man who was now snoring softly on the desk.

"Is that a map?" Mike asked when he saw what the book was wrapped in.

"Looks like he was prepared for anything." Sam said.

Mike spared a glance at the guy in question who was still lying unconscious on the table, "Not quite." He added.

The girls began spreading it out onto the table to reveal a detailed map of the mines and the mountain combined. It looked like it was the whole area of this portion of Blackwood Mountain condensed onto the ratty piece of paper. James leaned over Emily's shoulder to read sections that were labeled in Jack's familiar handwriting. Large words like _FRESH WATER, CAPTURED 11/2/92, COLLAPSED JAN 9, SIGHTING 10/4/21_ were scrawled across the paper, but a single word in the middle of the map where the mines were located held his eye.

_NEST._

James eyes narrowed, "Mike, you seeing this?" He asked.

"What is this place?" Sam wondered.

"Oh my god." Mike said under his breath.

"Wait, wait, wait. Wait is that?" Sam questioned them further.

"We were down there. It was horrible." Mike said.

"You were?" Sam asked them.

"What he said was true. About the miners?" Mike said, nodding towards Jack's unconscious form, "Some of them survived, but like…fifteen of 'em didn't make it. I found these plans-they knew the mine was a death trap, but they let the miners keep working anyway." Mike shook his head, "The rest must have turned into wendigos. I think they were experimenting on them at the sanatorium. They all escaped eventually. Place was torn apart." Mike said and made a confused frown, "It doesn't make any fucking sense!" He muttered to himself.

"What doesn't?" James asked.

Before Mike could answer, Emily cut him off, "Michael. I'd like to maybe focus on how we're going to get the fuck out of here please?" She snapped.

"I'm just saying it's weird how much crazy shit's gone on up here." Mike told her.

"What's weird is that there's a tunnel leading from the lodge to the sanatorium, see?" Emily said and pointed to the section of the map that was circled in red by the sanatorium.

"That's how we got back here." Mike said.

"I saw this when I was down there." Emily said, "That's where it lives."

"Em…Em, what is that?"

"Huh?"

"What. Is. that?"

Everyone looked to see Ashley backing away from Emily and pointing to her shoulder where bloody gashes marred her skin.

"Ash…" Emily trailed off.

Ashley began to panic, "Em, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Oh no, oh no, oh no!" She moaned.

"It's nothing!" Emily spoke over her moaning, "It just-it bit me and-"

"It bit you! What bit you?" Ashley demanded.

"The uh…the wendigo." Emily said hesitantly.

"The what!" Mike demanded.

"It's nothing, really, it's not a big deal-"

"Shit." Mike hissed under his breath.

"You okay?" Sam asked her.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, really!" Emily reassured her and glanced at her shoulder, "It's…it's not that bad."

"Em…" Mike began slowly, "If that thing bit you…"

Mike glanced at him but stepped back when Emily stepped off the desk and walked up to Mike with her hands held out pleadingly, "I-I know what you're thinking, and I'm fine!"

"Are you?"

"Yes!"

"Emily, at least let us check it out." Sam asked her. James silently agreed and nodded at Emily. The girl said nothing, and a moment of tense silence passed.

A pang of sympathy shot through James, and despite her reassurances, he stepped forward and asked her with his hands held up, "Emily? Can I see it, please? I just want to look."

Emily looked at him with distrust clear on her face, "Why?"

"James…" Mike warned.

James looked at him sharply, "Just wait a minute!" He demanded, "I know how it feels to get bit by something, okay! I just wanna check it out!"

"I'm fine!" Emily declared once more, but there was a hint of panic in her voice and her legs had begun to shake.

"Yeah, I know! That's why I'm worried!" Mike shot back, "If the wendigo bit her…she could turn _into_ one of those things!"

Ashley's fear turned to panic, "He said it from eating each other remember, he said that! It happens if it bit you!"

"Eating! Not biting, Ashley!" James shouted at her, "I…I don't think this is like me!"

There girl wasn't listening and began babbling, "You're gonna turn into one and then you're gonna turn on us just like you did!" She aimed that last part towards James before she backed away with a string of, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Leaving her mouth.

James' face twisted into a grimace and he shut his eyes as the frustration and guilt came, but this time, he wasn't the one being backed into a corner by words again.

It was the frightened girl behind him.

A surge of aggression flared inside him, and James bellowed, "STOP!" As loud as he could. Everyone jumped and flinched, Ashley went silence, and Mike's mouth closed with a click. James stood protectively in front of Emily with shoulders heaving, "Just…stop." He said through clenched teeth. His eyes darted around the room amidst everyone's surprised and afraid stares before they landed on Jack's book lying on the desk. A thought provoked him, then, and he remembered his own journal tucked neatly in his bag. Ever since he'd become a werewolf, he'd documented his travels and transformations diligently, not only to keep himself focused, but to also perhaps find a pattern, a clue, _anything _that could perhaps help him in his quest for control over his life again. Why wouldn't this man, alone in the mountains hunting horrifying monsters for what seemed like decades do the same?

He reached over and snatched up the small book.

"James?" Sam questioned as the others watched him cautiously and with a lot of confusion.

Jack's capital lettering covered the pages along with drawings, taped pictures, and notes. The man was quite the artist and had detailed descriptions of the monster's he hunted. As he flipped, James' eyes scanned the pages hungrily until four underlined words caught his eye.

_THE BITE IS HARMLESS_

James sighed in relief. Thank you, Jack!

"Here!" James said and thrust the book towards Ashley, "Here, it says the bite is harmless!"

Cautiously, the girl crept forward and took the book from James' hands.

James stepped back to stand by Emily as Ashley read the page. She let out a shuddering sigh a second later, "Y-you're gonna be okay, Em!" She told the girl.

Sam sagged in relief, as did Mike and Chris.

"Thank god." Said the blonde boy, who had been mostly silent throughout everything that happened.

"I told you I was fine!" Emily yelled.

"I-I'm sorry!" Ashley whimpered. Her grip on the book shook and she let out a small sob as she began to curl in on herself.

"Ash…" Chris rose from his place on the desk and limped over to wrap her up in his arms.

James felt like sobbing himself. Jessica's and Matt's deaths, Josh's madness and betrayal, the state of the others, the inhuman monster he'd just fought outside…hell, his body was still shaking from almost transforming. He pressed a hand to his face and covered his eyes as Ashley's stressed cries echoed in his ears. They had to get out of here. This mountain…it was _wrong. _Wrong in a way he couldn't place, but somewhere deep inside him screamed that this place was just…_tainted_.

Across from him, Mike was glaring into the monitors harsh light lighting the gloom. His eyes clenched shut and he grimaced, shaking his head, before he looked over at James.

"James?" He called, "We need to go."

James looked back into Mike's tired but determined eyes and nodded.

"I dropped the shotgun upstairs." Chris spoke up. He looked at the two boys and shrugged with Ashley still buried in his chest, "Don't know how many bullets it has left, but you guys should take it."

"I'll get it." James offered.

"I'll come with you." Emily said and stepped away from the desk with her arms wrapped around her torso. There was a bitter undertone to her voice and she purposefully didn't look at anyone, "I need some air."

James watched her walk past him and out into the gloomy underbelly of the hotel with her shoulders shaking slightly and her face a cold mask. He exhaled before looking back at the others, and to Sam, "I'll be quick."

"You better." She responded.

James gave her a small smile in reassurance before walking out after Emily.

**XXX**

_James & Emily_

They moved through the dark and musty hallways in relative silence until they reached the section where the hotel became the lodge.

On their mad dash into the basement, Chris had stumbled on a broken step and dropped the shotgun, and droplets of Jack's blood dotted the ground to make a trail over to the foot of the concrete steps where the weapon lay. With a sigh, James bent down to pick it up and gave it once over. Mike had seemed competent enough with a pistol, so he'd give it to him. Hopefully Mike would know how to use it because he sure as hell didn't.

He turned around looked over to where Emily stood hugging her shoulders and staring off into space. The girl hadn't made so much as a sound and her expression was still hard and stony, but James could see the minute shaking of her shoulders and the trembling of her lip. For a moment, he debated just staying silent and leaving her alone. The two of them rarely interacted, let alone spoke to each other, and still eyed him with trepidation and wariness. James knew she could be abrasive and mean, and he had a feeling she'd just snap if someone asked about her shoulder again, but James knew what someone on the verge of a breakdown looked like, and the sight of those bloody gashes on her shoulder made his own scars throb.

"Has the bleeding stopped?" He called softly.

Emily's dark eyes snapped to him before she looked away and shrugged her uninjured shoulder.

"I told you, I'm fine." She hissed through gritted teeth.

"No, you're not." He told her, equally soft. She opened her mouth with narrow eyes, but James held up a hand and said, "Emily, _none_ of us are okay right now."

Her mouth clicked shut and she went back to staring off into space.

James took another stepped forward and gestured to her shoulder, "I know what it's like-"

Her eyes snapped to him and she cut him off with a harsh shout, "Don't try to make me feel better!" Her voice was angry and shaky like she was on the verge of either crying or exploding with rage. Probably both.

"I'm not! I just want to make sure you're not bleeding out."

"What, you think I'm gonna turn into a monster, too?" She spat.

James hesitated for a moment before pulling off his shredded, bloodstained, filthy, and utterly ruined coat that was barely holding together. He dropped it to the floor and tugged enough of his undershirt to the side to show her the scars where the werewolf's teeth tore his flesh.

Emily's eyes went wide at the sight.

James swallowed hard as he thought back to that dreadful night where his and his friends' blood had stained the earth, and began to speak slowly, "When I…when I got bit, I was so scared. I was running and it was so, so fast…and strong. When it got me, it felt like I got hit by a car. Next thing I knew it was just clawing and biting me. I thought I was gonna die." James let go of his shirt and rubbed the scars underneath, saying, "Sometimes I can still feel it; the teeth, the claws…" He exhaled a long breath and looked into Emily's dark eyes, "Look, Emily…I know you're not gonna turn into one of those things. These things aren't like me. They're…they're worse. And if we're gonna get off this mountain, we need to look after each other."

Emily snorted, "Yeah, how about you do me a favor and go tell that to everyone else after they wanted to kick me out! They were gonna fucking leave me for dead, are you serious?! Mike was gonna…" Emily let out a strangled growl of anger, fear, and frustration, and turned around to look away from him.

"They're scared. We're _all_ scared." James told her.

"Scared enough to want me dead?" Emily asked him over her shoulder in a harsh voice.

James swallowed and shrugged his shoulders, "Well…that's how you guys were with me."

Emily turned around to look at him with a confused expression, "We didn't want you dead-"

"People do dumb things when they're scared." James spoke over her, "That's the point I'm trying to make! We're all scared. _I'm _scared, Emily. Each of us has been through helltonight! We…we need to stay focused." He sighed and ran a shaking hand through his hair. Dried blood was flaking off his skin and his scalp felt gritty with dirt and dust, "People do dumb things when they're scared," He repeated, "And you're being dumb right now by not letting us check that out." He finished and pointed to her shoulder.

Emily stared at him for a moment with her mouth slightly parted. After a moment, she sighed shakily and turned slightly to the side, shrugging her good shoulder, "Fine." She said in a small voice.

James gave her a thankful smile and walked over to Emily. Carefully, he pulled away the shredded leather of her jacket and frowned at the torn skin underneath. The wendigo's teeth had rent long gouges in her flesh, but they didn't look too deep and her blood had begun to clot.

"Looks okay." James said, "It's not bleeding. Definitely gonna scar, though. Just try not to move your shoulder too much."

Emily scoffed in annoyance, "Great."

James huffed a laugh, "We'll match." He said and tapped at his own shoulder.

Emily snorted as he stepped back, "You took First-Aid, too?" The girl asked him.

James made a face and shook his head, "No, but I've been carved up enough to guess what could be fatal for a…" He shifted uncomfortably, almost using the word _human _but settling on, "A normal person."

"Oh." Emily said in a small voice.

"Yeah." James sighed. His hands idly went to his side where the wendigo's claws had pierced him. The wound had healed in seconds, but the memory of the pain came back to him in that instant and made him shudder, "We should get back." James said.

Emily gave him a small nod and silently trailed after him as they began the trek back to the others.

**XXX**

"You got it?" Mike asked when they returned.

James walked over and handed him the shotgun.

"Check how many bullets it has." Chris called from his seat on the desk.

Mike did so and sighed when he saw only one shell left in the chamber, "One." He declared flatly.

"Great." Chris groaned.

Emily stomped past the others and curled up by the corkboard with her head in her knees without so much a glance at the others.

James gave her a worried look

"It's better than nothing." Mike said with a shrug. He idly glanced at the unconscious form of Jack Fiddler and then to Emily before grimacing and looking back to James, "Ready?" He asked.

James inhaled a deep breath and readied himself. For a moment, his mind flashed back to everything he's gone through this past year from the moment he had agreed to that camping trip, his first transformation, through all the blood, pain, and heartache, all the way up to where he'd first locked eyes with Sam, met everyone else, and then up to this point. He then looked around at the people that were in this room with him; these frightened souls who could very possibly die if he and Mike did not succeed.

His hands curled into fists as a sudden sense of implacable determination swelled inside him. He was going to make sure each and every one of them survived. Even if he had to die trying, he would not rest until they all saw the dawn! The Animal, even though it was supposed to be suppressed by the wolfsbane, shifted in the back of his mind before his necklace began to make his skin tingle, and it was gone.

For once, panic did not flood James' gut at the feeling. Instead, he focused on Sam's green eyes watching him from across the room.

"I'm ready." He said lowly, "Let's go."

Mike gave him a fierce nod, "Okay. No one leave. Stay here!" Mike addressed the group, "It's not safe out there. We'll be back soon."

James gave them all a departing nod before he and Mike and James shared a look. Then, together, turned and jogged off into the dark. There was a looming sense of dread in the air, and they both felt it.

They were beginning to feel like they were running out of time!

* * *

_**I'm back. This has been a rough start to the year and I haven't been in the mood for writing to be honest, but, I managed to finish this chapter. Next we will return to the Sanitorium where WWE Round 2 commences! Also, going to be splitting chapter 11 in two, so this should read as chapter 14. Thanks guys, let me know what you thought and PM me if you have any questions or comments. I'm always happy to answer them! See you next time.**_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter_ 15: Karma_

_Mike & James_

"Nice being back here." Mike sighed when his flashlight shined upon the rusty door at the end of the hall leading back into the Sanatorium.

"That's one way to put it." James said quietly as they approached. The two pulled it open and squeezed themselves back into the cold and dark of the forgotten building. It was much colder than the tunnel, and James was suddenly wishing for his jacket, or better yet, his wolfen resistance to the cold if only for a moment.

"Okay…" Mike said to himself as he closed the door behind them and bolted it shut, "Just in case anything tries to get through." He added.

"Hopefully the others don't have to come this way." James thought to himself and turned down the passageway where the barrels had exploded and blown away the fence. The scent of burning fuel was still in the air and he grimaced as it hit his nose. It was so strong that he began coughing and covered his nose with his shirt.

"You okay?" Mike asked.

The heady scent of the gas and smoke was suddenly whisked away by a draft of cold air that came from deeper within the Sanatorium, and the only thing that stood out was the scent of old dust and mold. James sighed and relief and said, "I'm fine. Just hate the smell of gas."

"Really? I like it." Mike said and inhaled through his nose as if to savor it.

James stared at him, "What is wrong with you?"

"What? A little gas never hurt anybody. It's good for you!"

"Except when someone blows it up." James told him with a flat expression.

Mike opened his mouth but closed it, "Okay, maybe. He said before shrugging and led the way with his flashlight.

James trailed behind him and shivered violently as another freezing draft that came through. He should have grabbed some protection from the cold before he ran off, because now, he was freezing!They traced their steps back through the Laundry and back upstairs into the Chapel. Jack's abode was not the same as when they left it. Chunks of the walls and ceiling, solid stone big and heavy enough to squash a person flat had come loose and lay about the floor. One had crushed the entirety of the altar and an entire section of wall had crumbled inwards towards the entrance.

"Ho-lee shit." Mike swore when he saw the state of the place, "What happened to the wolves?"

"What happened in general?" James asked aloud. He frowned and asked Mike, "Think it was because of us?"

"I don't think blowing up a few barrels did all this." Mike said as he stepped into dust and moonlight, "Hey, remember what Emily said about the tower? I bet when it fell, the whole mountain shook." Mike adjusted his grip on the shotgun with one bullet and began walking forward. He went about two steps before stopping dead in his tracks, turned 180 degrees, and stared past James at one of the gated rooms behind him. A smile crept over his face, and he said, "Oh, come to daddy."

James blinked, "What?" And followed Mike's gaze over his shoulder.

Within the room behind him, lying on a table and illuminated by dull yellow lamplight, was a double-barrel sawed-off shotgun and an open crate of shells next to it.

"Hell yeah!" Mike stomped up and tried the door, but his smile melted away when he was denied entrance.

"Locked." James felt the need to point out.

"Yeah, I can see that." Mike bit out and glared at the door, "This is bullshit! Why did he have to lock it? I mean, whose gonna steal it? The wolves?"

James stepped closer and peered inside. A moment later, he pointed up, saying, "There's a hole in the ceiling. I think if you can go up those stairs back there, you can-"

The unmistakable sound of a shotgun being pumped cut him off, and he turned to see Mike aiming the shotgun at the door.

"…Or we can do that." He trailed off awkwardly and stepped back with his hands over his ears.

_BANG!_

A good portion of the lock vanished in a shower of sparks, and Mike pushed it open with a triumphant grin. Bemusedly, James watched him stride inside and begin examining the newfound loot.

"Oh yeah!" Mike said to himself. He unslung the pump-action, placed it next to the sawed-off, and grabbed a handful of buckshot from the ammo-box. Mike snapped the sawed-off open and loaded it before moving onto the pump-action. To his glee, the shells slid into the shotgun's chamber perfectly and he quickly reloaded.

"Oh, _hell _yeah!" Mike declared and began to fill every single one of his pockets with as many shells as possible.

"You okay in there, Mike?" James called with a raised eyebrow.

Mike didn't answer and grabbed a handmade torch that was lying on the table next to the sawed-off. He could smell the gasoline soaking the rags bound around the top, and after a moment's hesitation, he put away his flashlight and brought out his lighter, "Now I just need a pitchfork and a mob." He muttered as the torch sparked to life. The orange flames provided some warmth against the cold, and he slung the pump-action, hefted the sawed-off, and turned around to face James.

"You are now forgiven for breaking my pistol!" He said as he swaggered out, "S'cuse me, Wolfy, certified badass coming through!"

"I'll let you know when I see one." James said flatly. He blinked a moment later when Mike pushed the sawed-off and the flashlight in his direction.

"Take them." Mike said seriously, "The wolfsbane takes away your wolf powers, right?"

James took the flashlight with ease but carefully took the gun and looked it over. The wooden grip was surprisingly smooth, and the metal was ice-cold. James frowned heavily and said, "I've never shot a gun before, Mike."

"Well, you're gonna learn today." Mike said and stepped closer. He took the shotgun from his hands and stood close enough to show James how to work the action, "Alright, you know basic gun safety, right? I don't need to tell you never point it at me even if it's unloaded? Good. This here's the safety. You want that off. See this lever here? Press that with your thumb and break it open." Mike did so with a metallic click and removed the shells he'd placed into the chambers to show James how to reload, "Now, when you break it open, it cocks and you're ready to shoot. Now, when you put the shells in, try to do it at an angle instead of putting them in straight. They just slide right in, and-" Mike slid the shells in, snapped the weapon shut with a _'CLACK' _and aimed it at an imaginary target with one hand. Mike nodded, satisfied, and turned back to James, "Each barrel has a trigger, but try to shoot it one at a time. You can shoot both barrels, but it might blow up. Let's not risk it. After that, you just crack her open and toss 'em." Mike showed James again and shook the gun in a way that made the shells fly out of the chambers. He stooped to pick up the shells, "Or you could just take them out one by one. You get two shots, obviously. Just be ready for the kick because it'll knock you on your ass. Got it?"

James exhaled a breath and nodded, "Yeah." He said.

Mike heard the hesitation in his voice and handed the weapon and a handful of shells to James. James stuffed the bullets into his pocket as Mike said, "Show me."

He then made James practice reloading again and again for the next two minutes until James snapped and told him, "We're wasting time, Mike!"

At those words, Mike stepped towards him and stared him straight in the eye, "Two of us are already dead." He said in the most serious voice James had ever heard, "I do not want to see anyone else die, James. _Anyone." _His eyes squeezed shut as Jessica's broken body flashed through his mind and he gritted his teeth, "But you're right." He said a moment later, "We should move." He took a quick look at the doors on the other side of the chapel and asked James, "We didn't go through any of those doors over there, did we?"

"No." James said with a shake of the head, his eyes on Mike, "Mike? Are you okay?" He asked softly.

Mike let out a breath that seemed half a laugh and half a sob, "Seriously? Does _anything _about this seem okay, Wolfy?" He asked, although for once, the nickname didn't hold the usual bite. Mike ran a shaky, dirty hand through equally dirty hair and said, "I just want off of this damn mountain." Mike forced himself to straighten and waved his torch in the direction of the doors, "Well, we're not gonna accomplish anything by standing here.

James nodded, and the two headed over towards the gates.

"How do you know so much about guns?" James asked out of the blue.

Mike snorted and said, "My dad's big into guns. He used to take me out to the shooting range all the time. Hunting, too…" He sighed, lost in thought, "My mom hated it. She was never big on em'."

They headed forward and tried the first door on the far right. Fortunately, it was unlocked, and they walked forward until they came into a room with an enormous hole in the wall that looked onto the grounds of the Sanatorium. Wind and snowflakes whipped against their skin as they stepped out into the snow, searching for any paths that would lead them further into the building, but stopped when they saw the crosses hammered into the dirt.

Mike leaned forward to examine the names, "Holy hell…" He muttered as he read. All the crosses bore the same date; February 24th, 1952. James looked over Mike's head to see that there were more crosses just beyond the blocked steps. They were in the Sanatorium's graveyard.

"Look." James said, pointing to their left. A tunnel of protective fencing led from their side of the Sanatorium, through the snow, and to the next wing.

"Nice." Mike said, and together, they went back inside. Of course, when they tried the door that would lead them to said tunnel, it was padlocked.

"Right…" Mike sighed and stepped aside to motion the lock to James, "Care to do the honors?"

James stepped forward, lifted the sawed-off at the heavy padlock, and pulled the first trigger. The boom of the shotgun resonated in his ears and through his body, and the recoil nearly made him drop it.

"Not bad, Wolfy!" Mike complimented before kicking the door open and stepping inside while James shook the feeling back into his arm and rubbed his shoulder.

Up ahead, a furry, white shape slunk out of the shadows and cocked its head at Mike, who stopped in the middle of the hallway in surprise.

"Hey, big guy." Mike softly called upon seeing Wolfie, who padded forward as they approached.

"Happy to see me again, huh? Hey! I was hoping to run into you again." Mike spoke to the animal softly as he bent to pet his neck and face. The white wolf was panting, and its eyes were wide. Mike frowned when he realized Wolfie was shaking. He muttered, "Alright. Good boy. Alright, pal, you're coming with us." And stood back up as James approached. Wolfie briefly sniffed at James before huffing and turned back to Mike when he began speaking again.

"Alright. Here's the plan. I happened to see a map of this place so we're not flying blind. There should be a way through the psychiatric wing that'll take us right outside the mine. Think we can handle that?" Mike asked the wolf with a smile.

Wolfie stared back at him with wide eyes, head cocked, and jaws slightly parted to reveal his sharp teeth.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Mike said with a smile and began walking forward.

Wolfie turned and padded forward, leading the way out into the cold.

"Atta boy." Mike sighed tiredly. James snorted under his breath and Mike turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, "What? I like dogs."

They walked through a pair of double doors and out onto the fenced-in path. James and Mike grimaced as the cold wind hit them again and pushed forward with the glow of torch and flashlight illuminating the way. Wolfie bounded ahead, stopping at the entrance to the next part of the building. Above the doorway was a red and white sign that read 'NO ENTRY DANGER OF DEATH' with a skull-and-crossbones stamped above it.

"Joy." James mumbled as they walked up the stone steps where Wolfie stood waiting with his head tilted upward.

The moment they reached him, Wolfie let out two harsh, snarling barks and growled in warning. James felt his body stiffen at the sound while Mike let out a half-aborted, "Jesus Chr-" And looked around for any sign of what he was barking at. They were truly in the Sanatorium now, although it seemed more like a prison. Sliding metal doors, bars on every window and hallway, and where they stood looked out through a protective metal fencing that went down for three floors. It was like they were in a massive birdcage. Moonlight shone down from the ceiling, and Mike swallowed when he realized they were going to have to go underground. Wolfie continued to growl, and Mike began to shush him, "Okeydokey boy, calm down." He calmed the wolf who sniffed the air and whined low in his throat. James, on the other hand, was anything but calm. Something was wrong here…

They heard it then, echoing up from the depths of the Sanatorium. High, harsh, and grating, the cry was like nails on a chalkboard and made the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end. Mike had heard that sound three times tonight. Once mingled in with the death cries of the elk they'd found dying in a steaming pool of its own blood, the next when it had been mingled amongst Jessica's anguished screams for help, and the latest had been outside the cabin in tandem with the boom of the very shotgun he now held.

_Wendigo._

A litany of low "Fucks!" spewed forth from Mike's lips. Another screech echoed through the darkness, followed by the clanging of metal bars above, and Mike flinched when James put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. James entire demeanor had changed from silent and stoic to wide-eyed fear, and his body had gone completely still as he scanned the bars and surrounding darkness with his jaw tense.

"Back!" James hissed, "Stay back and stay low!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Mike hissed back as they slunk back towards the wall and watched with bated breath. Another set of clangs were heard from above, and Mike said, "It must be on the ceiling. Anything the old guy told you about fighting these things?"

"Sight's based on motion in their field of vision." James muttered.

"Sight is-what?"

"If you don't move, they don't see you! That's what Jack told me and Chris when we went outside. He said they were like toads. If you move, you're a target." He grimaced then and looked down at his shotgun with a sour twist to his lips, "Fuck." He cursed.

"Wolfy, why do you look like someone shit in your cheerios?"

"Chris damn near emptied the chamber into that…that _thing a_nd didn't even scratch it! Jack said their skin was like armor unless you burn them. They're afraid of fire, too." James said and nodded towards Mike's torch.

Mike looked at the flickering flames of his measly torch and gave a little, hysterical laugh, "You gotta be shitting me." He declared.

"Worse comes to worse, go for the eyes. They can't see if they're blind." James said out of nowhere with a vicious glint in his eyes that caught Mike off guard.

"I'll, uh, I'll take your word for it." He said.

James gave a jerky nod and began to slowly rise to his feet, and Mike started when he realized James had a stiff finger on both triggers and the weapon was slightly shaking in his grip. One slip of James' finger, and the Wendigo would know where they were in an instant.

"Ease up on the trigger." Mike said in a firm voice.

James blinked and looked down at the gun, swallowed hard when he saw what Mike meant, and carefully took his finger off the triggers. James rose to his full height and stood there with his breath held and eyes scanning the innards of the abandoned madhouse.

Wolfie chose that moment to slink between a gap in the bars and trot deeper into the Sanatorium. Mike saw this and sighed when he saw the way was blocked by a metal door.

"Wish I could move like you Wolfie. We're stuck on this side." He grumbled and looked back at James, "Ready?"

"Yeah." James said, and together they walked forward.

"Alright, here goes nothing." Mike said and pulled the rusty lever next to the door. A door slid shut behind them with a loud grinding of metal, cutting off the exit, and the door before them slid open about a foot before it grinded to a halt.

"Awesome." Mike deadpanned.

He and James pulled it open enough for them to squeeze through and came out on the other side where Wolfie trotted up to greet them.

"You see that? I do got moves, don't I Wolfie?" Mike said to the wolf, who padded off down a flight of stairs that went deeper into the darkness. The boys followed, and at the bottom, lying against the wall, was a large sign that read _DETENTION CENTER_. The hallway going forward was barred off, but they saw doorway on the left-hand side and the hall seemed to continue off to the right, but before they went any further, James held out a hand when they came to the bottom.

"I smell blood." The werewolf declared in a quiet voice.

Mike paused in his tracks, and after a moment, sniffed the air and stared at James, "Me too." He declared, surprised. The two young men looked at each other before leveling their weapons and cautiously creeping forward. The door on the left had been a holding cell judging from the manacles nailed into the concrete and the remnants of a bed off in a corner.

However, the fresh blood splattered across the walls made the boys gulp, and if those weren't claw-marks gouged into that age-rotted cot James was staring at, Mike would eat his new jacket. What really caught Mike's eye was the piece of paper next to some moldy books lying on a desk. Curious as always, Mike picked it up with a "Huh." and read it over with James peering over his shoulder. It was a doctor's report, but while Mike and James barely understood any of the medical jargon, they certainly understood the scrawled words _THEY SHOULD BE __DEAD! _with an arrow pointing to the SYMPTOMS EXPECTED BUT NOT OBSERVED section.

"What the fuck?" James whispered as he read it over. He and Mike shared an uneasy look before they left the cell. However, an even grizzlier sight awaited them when they made a right.

There, at the end of the hall, tangled amongst the bars of a locked hallway, was the second wolf. Wolfie stood before it, barking and whining as the boys approached behind him.

"Ah…" Mike grimaced, "Son of a bitch."

James agreed with him wholeheartedly.

The black wolf had quite literally been torn open and gutted. Its head had nearly been ripped off, torn muscle and broken bones were exposed to the air, blood dripped down onto a pile of organs in a growing puddle beneath it, and flies were beginning to buzz around the gore.

"Jesus Christ! The fuck have I've gotten myself into!" Mike swore to himself. He leaned in and examined the gory sight with a disgusted expression, "Fuck, man. That is truly disgusting." He said to himself.

James made his own noise of disgust and stared to his left at the open door next to him. More blood was splattered across it, and what were unmistakably claw marks had been gouged into the metal.

"Mike?" James called.

Mike walked over and stared at the door with wide eyes, "These doors were built like tanks. How crazy were these inmates?" He muttered.

"I don't think inmates did this." James said, staring inside the room. Chains lined the walls next to an old metal bedframe with leather straps. More blood stained that part of the cell, but it was the words that had been carved into the wall that held their attention. Together, they walked inside, and read the words.

_LET US OUT!_

_WE ARE __STARVING _

_FREEZING!_

_I WILL MAKE YOU __PAY_

_STOP TESTING US NOW!_

Underneath that were nine tally marks.

"What went on here?" Mike said leaning forward. His eyes scanned the words and he shook his head, "This is nuts!"

James however, focused on one word in particular.

"Testing?" He muttered.

Another uneasy glance was shared between them before they left that cell and the bloody corpse of the wolf behind them and didn't look back.

Wolfie was waiting for them at the end of the next hallway and he darted off when they approached. They turned the corner and walked down a long corridor that curved right. Light shone through the massive, barred window that looked out into the open area of the ground floor, and signs on the wall read _B-WING_ and _DOCTOR'S OFFICE_ with arrows pointing forward.

James opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and stared out into the open area with eyes wide as saucers.

Mike turned and followed his gaze just in time to see the spindly figure crawl up the cage and out of sight. His mind began debating with himself if he'd just imagined it, but one look at James made him think otherwise. They stood there for a moment, still as statues, until James broke the silence.

"It's not the same one." He said in a quiet voice that sounded dead.

Slowly, so, so slowly, Mike unclenched his muscles and he turned to look at James, "What?" He asked in a voice that was barely a whisper.

James didn't even look at him when he spoke next. Hell, the guy wasn't even blinking, "The other one was different…bigger."

Mike stared at him, "You mean there's _more?"_ He hissed.

James swallowed past a lump in his throat and nodded once.

"_Fuck!_" Mike swore through clenched teeth.

James nodded once, and a tug on his arm from Mike had them sneaking the rest of the way through the corridor with their guns held at the ready. They warily eyed the large hole in the ceiling above the next barred-off section of hallway and sped-walked to the end where an entire section of brick wall had been knocked out. Quickly, they went inside and came out into another hallway that branched off into two directions.

"Where's Wolfie?" Mike wondered. A quick look around revealed no sign of the wolf but two signs that read _B-WING_ and _DOCTOR'S OFFICE_. Mike looked between the signs with a frown playing across his face as he thought to himself before and grimacing and cursing, "Damn it!" Before made a left down to the doctor's office.

James stared after him, "What is it?" He asked.

"I'm too damn curious, that's what." Mike growled, "I need to figure this out."

"Figure what out?"

"This! The Sanatorium! What the hell happened in 1952!" Mike declared as he walked to the end of the hall.

"Mike, there's a wendigo out there and you want to look for clues?" James hissed incredulously.

Mike glanced into an open room on his left and immediately darted in without acknowledging him at all. James had to fight down the urge to scream in frustration and headed in after him with the words, "Mike do you even…" That died the second he saw the old projector sitting on a table aimed at the wall. Mike was leaning over it, and after a moment of examination, found the ON switch. The old film reel spun to life, and the two boys watched the black and white, grainy, and silent video began to play.

It showed a restrained patient sitting in a chair, his head thrashing violently. A nurse walked over to him and seemed to give him something. She walked offscreen after a moment and the patient's head began to jerk about again. The film skipped, and suddenly, the patient was ripping out of the restraints and began visibly heaving his shoulders in either exhaustion or stress. The film skipped again, and suddenly the man was climbing out of his chair and onto the wall behind him. The detail was blurry, but Mike and James saw how the man's fingers were pointed like claws as he climbed up and out of frame. The screen flashed again, and the same nurse returned to the room. Seeing the empty chair, she quickly glanced around but froze when she saw something on the ceiling. She began to back up in small stuttering steps before visibly fleeing as the 'patient' crawled into frame before darting out of sight again. A snarling face appeared up close to the lens, and the camera was visibly knocked sideways before the reel ended.

Mike spoke into the silence that followed, "I knew it." He said in a low voice and walked out without another word. James was hot on his heels with his mind reeling from what he just saw.

Mike went to the end of the hall and turned straight into the doctor's office. Didn't look like much of an office and resembled the rest of the Sanatorium; chunks of concrete littering the floor, old sheets of paper strewn about, a rusty wheelchair, and furniture scattered around. Water dripped from the ceiling and motes of dust danced in the flash and torchlight. Puddles of blood stained the floor, and when they walked into the office itself, James grimace at the smell of mold and decay that filled the room.

"Ugh." Mike grimaced.

"You smell that too?" James asked.

"Hard not to. Smells like someone died in here" Mike gestured with his torch at a spot of blood on the floor, "Looks fresh. Whatever tore the wolf apart must have been in here."

James shined his flashlight to the back of the office where it landed on a spot of blood staining a wooden doorway. Shafts of moonlight peeked through cracks in the door, and Mike crept forward, wincing as the stench of decay grew stronger.

"Ugh, five bucks says whatever smells is behind that door." Mike coughed.

James, thankful his wolfen senses were not plaguing him at the moment, turned his head to stare at Mike, "You want to go _towards _the smell of death?"

"Yep." Mike said, "Call me crazy, but I got a hunch."

"Oh, god." James sighed, closing his eyes at Mike's behavior.

They passed a desk propped up against the wall on their right with diagrams of human anatomy pasted above it. Of course, it instantly caught Mike's attention and he slid open the drawer, "Hello…" He said as he pulled out a manilla folder and placed it on the desk. He flipped it open and read that the first paper was a medical examination. The words CONFIDENTIAL were stamped below in red ink.

"How do you find these things?" James wondered aloud.

"Because I'm awesome." Mike declared and flipped to the next page.

It showed a picture of a morose looking man staring into the camera. Medical jargon was listed below the picture, and the date in the upper left corner read Jan 9th, 1952, _Day 4_. Mike turned the next page and gasped.

The next picture was of the same man, but…well, he looked like a zombie from the Walking Dead. For one thing he was missing his nose and what looked like half the skin on the right side of his face. He was obviously in a straight-jacket, and his face was sunken and hollow. Lines pointed to parts of his body with medical terminology jotted down. The only thing that they could understand had been written in parenthesis _(pointing of teeth) _and the date above read, Jan 14th, 1952 _Day 9. _

Mike flipped the page to the next and final picture, and James flinched while Mike swore.

"Jesus hot sauce Christmas cake this is fucking unbelievable!"

The final picture looked like it had been taken while the man, no, the _wendigo_ had been in mid leap. His nose was completely gone now, and all the skin below looked black and necrotic, like it had been peeling away. His eyes were sunken and cloudy, and he was going bald. Most notably was the fact that a good majority of his teeth had fallen out and pointed fangs were lining his gums. The date was Jan 17th, 1952, _Day 12._

Slowly, reluctantly, Mike turned to the wooden door, "Should I even bother?" He asked quietly.

"Might as well at this point." James agreed.

The hinges were rusted shut, but a hard shove from Mike forced it open and they stumbled inside a short stretch of space between them and a barred door. The ceiling above them was completely gone, and James swallowed hard when he saw another small puddle of blood directly outside the door.

_BOOM!_

"Gah! Damn it, Mike!" James cursed when Mike quite literally blew the door open and kicked it in for good measure.

"What?" He asked as he stepped into the dark room.

"Did you forget that there's a wendigo out there?" He hissed.

Mike floundered for a moment but sighed and pinched his nose, "Too late now." He grumbled.

James just cursed under his breath and kept his ears open as he stepped in after Mike. The first thing he noticed was that the stench of old decay was strong enough to make his eyes water. The second thing he noticed was the corpse sitting in the chair. Another hole in the ceiling shone a pale light on the back of the dead man's head while Mike's torch cast flickering orange light across his gray, mummified skin and the thick cobwebs coating his clothes

"Holy shit! Who is this guy?" Mike asked as he walked inside.

James shined his flashlight around at what might have once been an office, "Beats me." He said.

There was a piece of paper held under the dead man's finger on his leg as if he was pointing to it. Mike carefully reached out and pulled it free while apologizing to the old dude as the corpse's arm flopped limply to the side.

The one side began with _To whom it may concern, _and Mike flipped it over to read the rest.

_They are dying outside, I hear them screaming and crying._

_This hell is my only legacy. _

_God's punishment for my mistakes. _

_No escaping my fate. Death awaits me now._

_Jefferson Bragg._

Towards the end of the suicide note, the loopy words became slanted and sloppy, like the hand writing down the final words had slackened. Mike looked at the desk where two black bottles lay uncorked and empty. Had he poisoned himself? Wait a minute. Jefferson Bragg? Where had he heard that name before?

"Jefferson Bragg…I remember his name from that old newspaper! He was the proprietor of the North West Mining Company and the Blackwood Sanatorium…he did this." Mike declared stepping back from the corpse, "The Miracle Men, those twelve miners? When they got trapped in the mines, they…they _ate _each other! They all turned into wendigos and the Sanatorium was keeping it all under wraps! He let them experiment on them." Mike declared lowly and motioned to the corpse of said proprietor.

James felt sick to his stomach when the words carved into the wall came back to him in a flash, "And then they escaped and killed everyone." James said quietly as pieces clattered together with horrifying clarity. He slowly turned back to where he saw the puddle of blood drying on the floor and imagined the wendigo that had killed the black wolf standing outside this very door, dripping with blood, and staring at the one who had it locked away and imprisoned, the one that had escaped its hunger by taking his own life.

"It was always a mystery what happened here." Mike said quietly, "No one really knew what happened. You read about it online and they make it seem like everyone just got up and vanished."

"That doesn't make any sense." James said, looking at him in surprise.

"I know." Mike said. There was a hard look in his eyes now, along with calculation. James could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"It doesn't make sense…unless someone's still covering things up."

"Yeah?" James asked, not knowing what else to say.

"I know it sounds crazy, but with all the shit that's happened on this mountain throughout the years? I mean, how can you explain an _entire Sanatorium _just…poof, gone! I mean, fuck, there's evidence literally everywhere!"

"You're not wrong…" James mumbled, thinking back on all the things that had been just lying out in the open that told the story of Blackwood Sanitorium and the missing miners.

"Exactly! It's been, what? Over sixty years? Why hasn't _any _of this gotten out to anyone? Why has no one investigated this place _unless_ there's a coverup! Case in point…" Mike finished by gesturing at Jefferson.

James thought on that, thought about it some more, grimaced, and shook his head, "I'm not big on conspiracy theories Mike, but you got a point." He stared at the long dead man in his chair and said, "Let's get out of here."

Mike agreed with him wholeheartedly and they left the office and hurried back down the corridor straight to the B-wing. Wolfie was waiting for them around the corner and barked when he saw them. Turning his back to them, the wolf trotted away as the boys walked forward. The second they turned the corner, a loud shriek split the air and a shadow passed over James. Instantly, he turned and leveled his gun at the open section of ceiling that reflected the bars shadows across the ground.

"What the _fuck!" _Mike hissed. His own gun was held ready and he was aiming in just about every direction.

"It knows we're here!" James muttered in horrified realization. The words swam around in his head over and over again. _It knows we're here, it knows we're here, it knows we're __**here!**_

"James! Wolfy, come on!" Mike's hand was on his shoulder and yanking him back, "Don't freeze up on me now!" He hissed as he pulled him through the next doorway and into the final corridor before that big open space contained by all the bars.

"Mike, if we go in there, we're fucked!" James hissed, "It's in there!"

"I know!" Mike responded through gritted teeth. He ran a shaking hand through his hair to calm himself before he asked, "Do you see another way out? We'll just have to wing it!"

James looked back at him with every survival instinct screaming at him this was a bad idea, that this was going to get them killed! For a fleeting moment, he considered running. Even buried under the affects of wolfsbane, the Animal rose within him and commanded him to keep living, to _**survive-**_

But then the memory of everyone back at the cabin, all those other lives who were counting on Mike and James to get through this hell came forth. And Sam…

Taking a steadying breath, he followed Mike further into the gloom. The boys were much more cautious, now. They stayed away from the open bars lining the one side of the passageway and jumped at every creak and groan from the bars above as Wolfie led them forward. A sideways sign half buried in rubble off to the side was labeled _DETENTION CENTER_. Good to know.

It was a terrible feeling, knowing you were walking into a trap.

Wolfie stopped just before the entrance into said trap, having more sense than they did. Old benches and wheelchairs were scattered about along with piles of rubble. Perhaps this had been a lunchroom some time ago where the mentally ill would come to eat before twelve monsters tore the entire place to shreds. Something rattled off to Mike's left and he jumped with a startled noise and aimed his shotgun at a patch of rubble. Mike was already as taught as a bowstring, and the slightest bit of movement had him pulling the trigger without a second thought. The round blasted away a can that had been knocked over and a black rat scuttled away as fast as its legs could carry it with frightened squeaks filling the air.

James glared daggers at him, and Mike opened his mouth to retort, but that was when the wendigo dropped from the ceiling and landed on a rusty gurney to James' right.

James had been right; this one was different from the other one in the woods. It was…_smaller_, for one thing and was wearing clothes for another. Old and ratty clothes, but clothes none the less. Its round, pale eyes were set in deep, sunken sockets, and even paler skin was pulled taught over its skinny frame. Tufts of gray stubble poked out along its jaw in the remnants of a beard. A scar ran over its left eyebrow; three deep grooves that looked like it had been done by claws. Parts of its face and scalp looked inflamed with dark pink splotches like bruises, and wet dollops of blood shone on its cheek and around its missing lips. The skin around its mouth had been stripped away, like in the picture, revealing its fat tongue and crooked fangs.

Spittle flew from the monster's mouth as it screamed right before it pounced at James.

Time seemed to slow down as it leapt. He dropped his flashlight to get a better grip on the double-barrel as he tried to aim, but it felt like he was moving through molasses. He watched as the creature's long arms stretched out like a spider, its filthy fingers capped with sharp talons stretching out for his throat, and the overpowering smell of death filled his nose for just a second and he froze-

_BOOM!_

The sound of thunder and the muzzle flash of Mike's shotgun filled the Sanitorium and the wendigo was blasted out of the air.

"Huh? _Huh?! _How's that feel ya fuck!" Mike taunted through gritted teeth as the wendigo hit the ground. He shoved James forward and yelled, "Run!"

That snapped James out of the wide-eyed state he'd been frozen in, and together, they took off with Wolfie at their heels. There was a set of stairs straight ahead with the _B-WING_ sign hanging over it, and that's just where they went. Behind them, they heard the furious cries of the wendigo as it picked itself up and came after them. They stopped, however, when they came to a bit of a crossroad. The hallway kept going straight ahead, but there was a door just to their left that was open and inviting.

"Jesus, fuck-fuck!" Mike cursed as he looked back and forth. Behind them, the wendigo landed at the foot of the steps on all fours and screeched at them. When James saw this, his eyes widened and his body shook, and with an angry cry, he took aim and gave it both barrels. The resounding "_BOOM! BOOM!" _in the confined space had everyone's ears ringing. At his current range, the buckshot simply peppered the wendigo's tough skin and made it flinch and scream with anger.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Mike hissed as he went left. He turned to lock the door, but saw that James was still out there and fumbling with reloading. The shells dropped from his fingers, and he grabbed for more as the wendigo righted itself and began hopping forward.

"James!" Mike shouted as Wolfie barked and whined. James looked over at them before running inside, and Mike slammed the door shut behind him as the wendigo's cries grew closer and closer, "Goddamnit!" He cursed as he tipped a metal locker to block the door. The second he did, the wendigo's ugly face appeared in the window and stuck its head through the wire mesh. Mike got a good look at the scars that ran over its left eyebrow before he stumbled back, and the wendigo began to force its skinny body through the small square, screeching all the while. Too late to get his shotgun up, Mike swung with the only other thing he had, his torch. The flames were little more than dull flickers at this point, but Mike still shoved it straight into the wendigo's eye, right where the scar was as James' suggestion came back to him in a flash. The torch went out, and the wendigo practically teleported from the window while letting out a high, keening wail.

"OUT!" Mike yelled as he dropped his torch, "GET OUT!"

They ran into the next room and Mike shut and latched the door behind them for good measure. Wolfie let out a low whine and Mike gently pet his head while trying to catch his breath, "Good dog. Shh…shh…it's okay, it's fine." He quietly reassured the wolf. James turned and saw the sign above the door read _GUARD'S OFFICE_. Old desks were scattered about the interior, cells lined the walls, and dust filled the air. Once more, the smell of death filled their noses, only it was stronger here than it was in Jefferson's panic room, and seemed to be coming from the only way out; a crumbling entranceway on the other side of the room with another rusted sign that read _RESTRAINING AREA_.

"The hell was that?" Mike suddenly muttered as he began to creep forward. James followed his gaze and saw something round and white peeking over one of the desks in the entranceway to the restraining area. They realized what it was a moment later, the top of a wendigo's head. It had been lying in wait, completely still, and the boys ducked as it hopped up onto the desk it had been hiding behind like a demonic frog. Mike, James, and Wolfie all crowded low behind a desk, and Mike carefully peeked out from behind cover to see the creature scanning the room back and forth. He couldn't really tell, but was this another one? Dried blood covered its face, it looked like it had more hair than the last one, and its clothes looked different as well. Mike carefully ducked back as the monster looked in his direction.

Two of them…fucking great.

They had to move. If they stared here, they were dead. James was white as a sheet as he stared back at him but nodded when Mike motioned to start sneaking. A bottle lying on the desk was jostled and began rolling forward, but James saw it and grabbed it before it could go any further. The wendigo hopped to the next desk with a screech, sniffing and searching for the prey it knew was there. James tapped on his shoulder and motioned throwing the bottle. Mike nodded, and James hurled it into the furthest corner of the room where it shattered against the wall. The monster turned in that direction and screeched in confusion, hunger, and fury. As it moved towards the sound, the trio hurried forward with Mike muttering all sorts of profanity under his breath.

Mike turned the corner with shotgun at the ready and the cries of the wendigos echoing behind them as they moved into the darkness. With shaky hands, James reloaded his own shotgun next to him. They jumped at the slightest sounds, barrels sweeping back and forth, and searching for the slightest movement. Wolfie stuck close to Mike who was muttering to himself the whole time, a mix of curses, half-sentences, and threats. James kept silent and watchful. There were holes in the ceiling that he had no doubt a wendigo could come crawling out of, and the surrounding darkness didn't help either. They were headed the right way, however. One of the signs on the wall read PSYCHIATRIC WING with an arrow pointing forward. They were almost there! The one thing that had James on edge the most, though was the fact that the heavy, musty death smell, _wendigo _smell, was getting stronger and stronger the deeper they walked. The walls were lined with cells, which made sense given they were in the restraining area. One of the cells they passed was utterly destroyed. Part of the roof had collapsed inward and the door had been broken off. The sight made James particularly uneasy for some reason.

Well, the reason for the smell became obvious the second they turned the next corner. From out of the darkness of a cell Mike had his back to came a wendigo that slammed against the bars and reached out for them with grasping claws and hungry shrieks. Without a second thought, Mike turned and fired, blasting it back into the shadows.

"When is this shit gonna stop!?" Mike whimpered as the wendigo picked itself off the ground and hissed at them.

"Get it together, Mike!" James hissed even though he felt like breaking down himself. James turned as Wolfie ran ahead and felt all the blood drain from his face at the cacophony of shrieks echoing out from the many cells lining the hallway and the many clawed hands grasping out from the bars.

"Oh my god…" He said out loud, utterly horrified at the gauntlet they were about to go through.

It was something out of a nightmare. Wendigos were to the left and right, trapped behind bars, Jack's doing if he had to guess. They screeched and clawed and grabbed at them, throwing themselves at the bars to try and snag them with their claws. Every now and then Mike would blast one when it got too close and reload just as quickly. James was so focused on dodging that he didn't even have the mind to fire his own weapon. It was like a goddamn zoo out of hell! Some of the cells were either missing parts of the floor, wall, or ceiling, and more importantly they were empty. It had to be because of the radio tower. The shockwave must have crumbled parts of the building, and some of the wendigos were freed.

After one close call at the end of the hall (how the fuck did Jack even get them in here?!) another wendigo found them. It pounced around the corner, bouncing from wall to wall and screaming at them the whole time. Tired and scared out of their minds, wondering just how many of these things had gotten free, the boys ran as they could with Wolfie taking the lead in a straight shot down a hallway that opened up over a covered walkway and ended at a closed door. Of course, the door was rusted shut when they got to it. Behind them, the wendigo scuttled across the bars surrounding the walkway like a demented spider, jumping from point to point in harsh, jerky movements.

"Not good! Get it open!" Mike told James as he turned and shot the wendigo off the ceiling. James threw all his weight against the door and pushed with all his might. Another wendigo came hopping out of the darkness, this one sporting a blackened spot around its right eye which had been scorched black and filmy. It screamed in rage and began bouncing forward alongside its brethren, their pale eyes locked on the boys, but it was too late. With a final grunt, James pushed the door open and yelled for Mike to go. Wolfie darted in first with Mike hot on his tail, and together, he and James slammed the heavy door shut on the Wendigo's cries of frustration and hunger. Mike slammed the latch in place and the boys stepped back from the door shaking and exhausted.

"We gotta get the hell out of here." James panted, hands on his knees.

"Oh, ya think?" Mike asked incredulously as he looked around and thought back to the map of the Sanitorium, "We gotta be close to the end." He hazarded. He turned and tapped James on the shoulder, "Come on, we're almost there."

They carried on through the psychiatric ward.

Entire sections of the walls and ceiling were missing in places. The checkered tiles were covered in a light dusting of snow and the howling wind whipped the tattered curtains and blankets of ruined bunkbeds. The wendigos were still hunting them. Their cries still echoed in the distance and at one point they saw a gangly shadow crawl across one of the windows that were behind them. The boys just shared an uneasy glance and trucked on.

"When we get out of here," Mike shivered against the cold, "I'm gonna move to California. Live on the beach. Collect seashells or some shit."

James actually laughed, "Yeah? Condo or rent?"

Mike scoffed, "Condo, obviously. I'm a classy man. I'll open up Mike's Seashell Shack! Try saying that three times fast."

"I'm good." James chuckled tiredly.

Their humor was short-lived. From behind them came the roar of a wendigo, and the boys turned to see it bound around the corner.

"Fuck!" Mike exclaimed, and then they were running again. If Chris was a deadeye, then Mike was the next best thing. In a feat of skill, precision, and downright luck, Mike brought up his shotgun and blasted the lock off the door ahead of them so they could charge right inside. Through the door, the cries of the wendigo were growing closer and closer. The sound sent James into a panic and he ran about wildly, looking for a way out, and stared in shock when he saw that they were at the end of the Sanatorium. James ran into the next room and saw the hole in the floor that opened over a walkway below.

"Mike, come on! There's a way out!" He yelled and waved Mike over. Mike, who had just been about to barricade the door, stopped and ran for the hole, wanting to get out of this hell as fast as possible. His decision would soon prove to be a mistake.

"Get in! Get in!" James urged.

Mike hopped down onto the railing with a grunt and turned back to Wolfie and James, "Alright, come on!" He called.

James made to jump down but stopped and looked back at the door as it slammed off its hinges, and in pounced the wendigo. James eyes bulged and he yelled, "MIKE RUN!" Before taking aim and pulling one of the triggers. _BANG_ went the shotgun, and the wendigo was knocked onto its back. Before he could even react, the second wendigo streaked into the room and screeched bloody murder before it lunged. This time, he didn't react fast enough, and it tackled him to the floor.

"JAMES!" Mike yelled in horror.

James hit the ground with the monster slashing at him with its claws and biting at his face, and he screamed in terror and fear. He wasn't on the cold concrete of the Sanatorium anymore; he was on his back in the mud with the moon over him and burning orange eyes searing his soul-

Wolfie's snarls caught the wendigo's attention and it stopped its assault to look up and hiss at the wolf. James pushed back against the cold skin and inhuman strength, struggling like a worm on a hook. He felt so weak, so powerless! He never knew how weak he was without the Animal's strength until now. For the first time since he'd been bitten, James wanted the Animal's power more than anything. He didn't want to die, he wanted to _live! _He wanted to _**SURVIVE!**_

"GODDAMNIT!" He screamed himself hoarse as he brought up the shotgun and fired point-blank range into the monster's chest.

The wendigo flew off him with a surprised scream and fell into the hole where Mike watched it fall and hit the floor in a heap directly in front of him, "Oh shit!" Mike cursed before hurrying down the staircase as the wendigo recovered.

James scrambled to his feet, shaking like a leaf, and looked about wildly as he heard Wolfie's barking. The wolf was pacing at a closed door towards the back of the room and barking at him. A quick glance over his shoulder showed that the other wendigo was now back on its feet and prowling towards him. James was already too far from the hole and trusted Wolfie to get him out of here. The animal hadn't led them astray so far.

"MIKE, GO!" He yelled as loud as he could before hurling his shotgun at the wendigo, not even bothering to reload, and ran for the door. He didn't know if it hit, but the angry shrieks behind him made for a good bet. James ran up to Wolfie and, to his utter relief, threw open the very much unlocked door. All he saw was a long stretch of hallway that ended at a staircase. Sobbing in a mix of relief and terror, James just ran with Wolfie taking the lead. Behind him, the wendigo chased him, and he fought back sudden tears of remembered terror. Again, it wasn't concrete under his shoes, but soggy leaves and forest floor. The sound of the wendigo was replaced by deep, booming growls, and the cold and snowflakes were replaced by wind and rain. He charged down those steps, feeling the monster hot on his heels, turned a corner, and found Wolfie waiting for him at the end of the stairs. They were on the bottom floor, and the exit from the stairway was like the ones all over the Sanatorium, all metal bars and an equally metal door. Best of all, it was open, and beyond that was an open door that led to the outside. Nearly tripping in his haste to escape, James ran for those doors, and with all the strength in his body, slammed it shut on the wendigo's face just as it reached the bottom. The bars groaned under the monster's following lunge but held fast. It gripped the bars and reached for him, howling like a monkey at the zoo. James stared at the evil, twisted thing and growled low in his throat.

"Fuck you!" He spat, shaking in terror, before he turned and ran for the exit.

At that very moment back at the boiler room, Mike took aim at the surrounding array of barrels and pulled the trigger. The following explosion blew him through the doors and out into the snow, consuming the wendigo that had been pursuing him in a fireball.

As for James, the following shockwave shook the Sanatorium to its core. Destabilized by decades of neglect, weakened by the tremors of the tower falling, and now the explosion, the portions that were untouched by the fireball that erupted out of the boiler room began to collapse. This included the hall where James was. The young runaway looked around him in horror as dust fell from the ceiling, chunks of concrete began falling, and the entire building let out the most ominous groan he'd ever heard in his life. At the end of the hall, barking madly, was Wolfie. The animal's white coat was a beacon that James ran to as mortar dust filled the air and entire sections of the ceiling and walls caved in around him. He ducked and dodged, jumped, and leapt, and after shoving an errant wheelchair out of his way, he threw himself through the doorway and into the snow as a portion of the Sanatorium collapsed behind him. Unfortunately for James, his head struck the hard concrete of a walkway hidden by snow, and everything went black.

_James_

He came to with a warm tongue licking his ear. With a groan, he opened his eyes and stared into the bright yellow eyes of Wolfie, who wined pitifully and gave his face another lick. James weakly battered the tongue away and closed his eyes as the snowflakes covered his body. He was so cold. So, so _cold, _and his body ached like never before_. _He just wanted to go to sleep…

Overhead, the clouds parted, and the full moon shone down with all its silver glory directly onto James. The werewolf's eyes shot open as fresh strength poured through him while his necklace burned his flesh. His eyes blazed with orange life and he inhaled deep gulps of air as the many scrapes, cuts, and bruises he'd accumulated throughout his trek through the Sanatorium healed in a matter of seconds. James rolled onto his side steadied himself on the snow which began melting under his rapidly increasing body heat. Pain and cold soon became a thing of the past as James slowly stood to his feet and turned around to stare at the smoking Sanatorium. All around him, the snow was brown from all the dust that had settled while smoke billowed into the sky. Had Mike caused _another _explosion? Mike…where was Mike? James looked around for any sign of Munroe but saw nothing. James was on the other side of the Sanatorium, facing into the dark woods. A section of wall had once blocked the way but had long crumbled to open a wide path straight to the trees. James straightened and turned towards the front. He had to find Mike, had to let him know he was safe and help save the others, had to-

Pain rocked his body like a shockwave, and he fell to his knees, scrabbling for his necklace that burned like a hot poker against his flesh. In the back of his mind, he heard something _**growl.**_

The wolfsbane had worn off.

His hour was up.

He had to _run._

Mike was still out there! The others were still out there! They weren't far, either, not for the Animal's standards. It'd catch their scent in an instant, hunt them, _kill _them! He had to put as much distance between the Lodge and him as possible, but where the hell could he go?

Barking drew his attention to where Wolfie stood at the crumbled portion of wall. The wolf turned in place once and barked in his direction before trotting off into the trees. Something, and James couldn't tell what, bade him to follow. James grunted in exertion and rose on legs that were already beginning to shake. He stared forward into the darkness that snapped into focus under his keen eyes and saw Wolfie watching him with erect ears while whining and barking. James took the first step forward, grit his teeth against the increasing pain of his burning necklace and changing body, and began to run.

_He didn't want to change!_

_He didn't want to be in agony again!_

_He didn't want to be a monster anymore!_

He thought of Mike, of the others, of _Sam, _and kept running, chasing after the white wolf that led him through the trees and underbrush, leading him up slopes and around boulders. They were truly on Blackwood Mountain, now, ascending its slope, forest, and rocky ground. James didn't know where Wolfie was leading him, as long as it was away from the others!

He cried out as the muscles along his jaw seized and throbbed with pain as they became thicker, _**stronger.**_ He could _feel _his teeth growing sharper in his mouth at that very instant. James stumbled into a tree and held himself against the cold bark with a hand that was now covered in coarse black fur that was creeping up his arms in a maddening itch. James grimaced through the pain and let out a moan at the sight.

That's when he saw it, carved into the bark of the tree.

A bow with a notched arrow.

It was faint, but it was still there. He wouldn't have seen it if his eyes hadn't adjusted to the dark. Jack's words came back to him in a flash, _"Follow the bow and arrow."_

He looked around, suddenly stunned. The bow and arrow seemed to be _everywhere, _carved onto every tree, and all pointing in the direction Wolfie was leading him. A nameless emotion swelled up inside him, and James threw himself forward with a desperate gasp, plodding through the snow but picking up speed, stumbling from the pain but keeping his eyes on the white wolf that was leading him up the mountain.

Suddenly, James saw light up ahead in a clearing of trees. At the same time, his body exploded with pain as his bones began to crack and shift. He fell into the snow with a scream, now completely covered in wooly hairs. Tears stung his eyes. He was close, so, so close! To what, he did not know, but all he knew was that he HAD to get there! Clawed hands that were slowly resembling paws dug into the snow and pulled forwards. James cried out in sheer agony as his legs began to twist and crack, and he screamed his throat raw, but he had to keep moving. The light grew closer and closer, and James thought it looked like a campfire that was surrounded by tall stakes. Details didn't matter. He lurched forward, now crawling on all fours like an animal, fighting through the pain, through the encroaching darkness, through everything with just a single goal in mind to _reach…that…clearing…_

With a final cry as the Animal howled in his mind, James threw himself into the clearing.

And everything stopped.

Slowly, so slowly, James opened his eyes.

He felt no pain. The Animal was…gone. Silent.

Slowly, James turned from his side, feeling warm grass beneath his torn clothing, and stared up at the stakes that surrounded him. No…not stakes.

Totem poles.

There were five of them, and each were planted deep into the ground. Each was a different color, too. Red, black, yellow, white, brown, and all were made up of animals or humanoid creatures. They had a…_presence _to them. Of power, of _importance_. James couldn't figure out what, but he sensed it all the same. What was more was that the ground was bare of snow within the circle formed by the totems which encircled him and a campfire that crackled bright and warm in the center.

Slowly, he looked up into the sky at where the full moon still hung, then back down at his body that was still very much human.

"Greetings, young wolf." Said a voice from behind him.

James spun in place and stared at a man sitting cross-legged on the other side of the campfire who had certainly _not _been there before.

He was dressed in all manner of animal pelts, bear, wolf, elk, James even saw feathers that layered around his collar and shoulders. The one thing that stood out the most was the hood. It too was made from fur, but two small antlers stretched out from either side of the hood and curved forward. The man poked at the fire with a stick before raising his head to meet James' eyes from under the antlered hood. He was old, so very, very old. He was definitely Native American with a hard face lined and creased with age. His hair was braided into two tails that came down to his chest, but they showed no gray of age and shined healthy and black. His eyes, though…his eyes were onyx black like the rock of the mountain, the color of the mines down below. It was like every rock, stone, and cliffside of the mountain had been condensed into this man's flinty gaze. The man waved a huge, gnarled hand in his direction and spoke in a deep, _deep _voice that reminded him of how the Sanatorium groaned before it came down on top of him.

"Come, sit. Share my fire."

Hesitantly, carefully, James sat. They stared at each other over the crackling flames, the stranger's expression stoic and unreadable while James' was wary and searching.

"What are you?" James asked after a minute of silence.

The stranger held up a hand for patience, and said, "All will be explained, young one. There is one more who must join us."

Panting drew James' attention then, and he glanced over his shoulder as Wolfie trotted through the totem poles and headed over to where the stranger sat. James watched the wolf slump down next to the stranger and panted up at his craggy face.

"You did well." The man said, looking over James' shoulder.

"Told you I'd bring him."

James spun as the new voice came from right beside him…and froze.

Because there, standing in the grass next to him with her hands on her hips and a small smile aimed at the stranger…

…Was_ Beth Washington._

* * *

**I'm really excited to hear what you guys have to think on this chapter because it was quite a challenge! I wrote and revised this one many times, because originally, James was going to be slowly transforming and fighting the wolfsbane because of reasons that will be explained next chapter, but I could never seem to make it feel right. Plus with everything else going on and a major case of writer's block, Silver Dawn had been put on the backburner. I actually just got my muse 3 days ago and finished it tonight. I'll go back and listen to so I can fix any mistakes or errors I've made. I'm sure I made a few. Anyway, there is nothing more satisfying than knowing your work is almost complete….because it is. That's right ladies and germs, this story is nearing the end, but it ain't over yet! Next chapter, secrets will be revealed, truths uncovered, and James' fate hangs on a simple choice. Find out next time on SILVER DAWN! **


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16: Memento Mori_

_James_

For a long moment, James just _stared_. He'd seen a few pictures of the twins before, mostly from Sam's phone the few times she opened up to him about the twins, and she had taken one of Beth the night they disappeared. To James' astonishment, the girl before him resembled that picture to a T; grey sweater, black leggings, white beanie hat, pink lipstick…it was like she had stepped out of her Missing Person's report.

James wet his lips and asked in a shaky voice, "Beth?"

The girl turned brown eyes upon him, her short hair swaying with the motion, and quirked her lips in a small smile, "Yup, it's me." She said, popping the P, "Nice to meet you, James."

And yet…something was off. The outline of her was blurry; grainy like the old film reel he'd seen in the Sanatorium. If he looked close enough, he swore she was slightly transparent. What was more, the girl was surrounded by a faint aura of deep blue light that shimmered as she moved. She also had no scent.

"You…you're dead." He whispered lowly.

Beth's smile quickly vanished and she visibly wilted, "Yeah." She sighed as all traces of amusement vanished, and her shoulders slumped, "I'm dead." She said in a small voice.

"I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you." He said, unable to take his eyes off the ghost of Josh's sister.

Beth shook her head, "Don't be. It's not your fault." She sat down next to him by the fire and tucked her knees up to her chin, staring into the flames with sad eyes. James noticed how the grass was left undisturbed wherever she touched. He wanted to reach out and comfort the girl, but for all he knew, his hand would just pass right through her.

"Still." He croaked, "I wish I could have been there. I…I wish I could have helped."

The corner of her mouth quirked up and she turned to look at him, "You mean that, don't you?" Beth said to herself and uttered a small laugh, "No wonder Sam likes you. You've got a good heart."

James opened his mouth to respond, but the stranger clearing his throat cut him short, "Our time is short." He rumbled, not unkindly.

"Alright, alright! Keep your antlers on." Beth replied and leaned in to whisper to James, "Don't mind him. He's a cranky old mountain."

James blinked, "He's a _what?"_

"Besides, this isn't about me. This is about you." Some of the light had come back to her voice and she nodded her head to the man across the campfire, "You're gonna want to listen to what he has to say. It's really important."

James looked from Beth to the stone-eyed man, who was watching him with the most intense gaze he'd ever seen. Gathering his courage, he asked his previous question, "What are you?"

The man stared into him with those ancient eyes and spoke in his deep, gravelly voice, "I am Madahee, the Great Spirit of this mountain."

And the ground beneath them _shuddered_.

Even though the fire was warm, and his body was resistant to the winter wind, James felt a chill run through him at those words. Something within his soul resonated with the words however, something deep and hidden where the Animal lay dormant.

When James continued to just stare with wide eyes, Beth spoke up from his left, "Is it really hard to believe?" She asked in a gently teasing voice. James looked at her with his incredulity written all over his face. The ghost-girl just smiled at him and said, "I mean, I'm a ghost and you're a werewolf."

The man…spirit? _Mountain?_ Whatever he was, Madahee looked at him and said, "I have been watching you, James Steele. Watching and guiding you so that we may speak. There is much you need know, and much I have to tell. Your heritage for a start."

"I…what?" James mind felt fuzzy, "What are you talking about?" He croaked.

The so-called Great Spirit of the Mountain said, "For too long, the darkness of the Cold Ones has run rampant like a blight tainting the forest without a force to keep them at bay. You must know the truth if you are to destroy them."

The wind picked up in the trees and the ground began to shake again. With it came a far-off noise that sounded like drumbeats with the faint echoes of chanting mixed in. The totems surrounding him suddenly seemed taller, and their carved faces seemed to bore into him. Madahee's eyes suddenly seemed infinite and endlessly black, like the reaches of space, pulling James into them, and his voice boomed into his ears like a rockslide.

"**Hear now, the story of the Wolfman and the Cold Ones."**

* * *

_Long ago, before the white man came, the people that would be known as Cree came to live upon the mountain. _

_Their tribe was small, and they had wandered for many moons, seeking a place to live. They harkened to the visions and dreams sent to them by the Butterfly, which guided their fortune and fate, and it was foretold that the home they sought was to be upon this very mountain. The Great Spirit of the mountain, Madahee, embraced them as his children, and taught them of the balance of nature, of life and death, to take only what they needed to survive, not hunt for glory or sport, and never harm the creatures that dwelled upon the mountain, lest ill fortune fall upon those who do. In turn, he sheltered them and offered his protection. The Cree carved bows and arrows into rocks and trees to mark safe hunting grounds and made symbols in Madahee's image to ward off evil spirits. So was the way of this tribe called Cree, who respected the sacred mountain and its teachings for many, many years._

_But one winter, a blizzard came and buried the mountain in ice and snow. There was no food, nothing to hunt. The tribe soon grew hungry, and many began to die from the cold. As the cold grew, so did the hunger, and the desperation of the Cree. Among the tribe was a woman named Makkapitew, one-who-has-big-teeth. She was old, cruel, and wicked of heart. One day she pointed to the mountain and asked her husband, "Why do we not hunt there? There are elks, squirrels, and birds we can eat!" Her husband reminded Makkapitew that the mountain was sacred, and no animal should be harmed, but Makkapitew did not listen. She did not respect the spirits of the mountain and demanded her husband go and find food, lest she and their three sons starve. Her husband refused to do it, for he respected the spirits and Madahee. _

_But Makkapitew refused to starve. She was hungry, and she would not be denied. That night, while her husband slept, Makkapitew took her three sons, who were just as wicked as her, aside and told them, "Your father refuses to provide for us. We must make sure we do not die of hunger." She told told them. With that said, she took his hunting knife and cut open his throat. From there, she and her sons prepared him like a wild elk, cut him apart, boiled his meat and bones into stew, and ate him._

_This vile act brought the spirit of the Wendigo to the tribe. It flew like a dark wind into Makkapitew's home and overtook her and her sons. It turned their hearts to ice and fueled their hunger for human flesh. That night, Makkapitew and her sons fled, leaving behind the remains of their victim to be discovered by the tribe. The shaman declared that evil had been invited onto the mountain by Makkapitew's cannibalism, that the spirit of the wendigo would now plague their people. _

_Soon after, the attacks began. Makkapitew and her sons were no longer human, now tall, gaunt, and thin with teeth and claws like icicles. They felt no pain and were as cold and quick as the winter wind. Their skin was harder than frozen ice, and they were even crueler than they were in life, killing everything that moved. Among all the wendigos, Makkapitew was known as the fiercest and strongest of them all. Perhaps she had been born with a wendigo's spirit, so quickly did she take to the curse. None could say. At night, they would slink into the village and kill anyone they could get their claws on, dragging them away into the night. The only thing that could drive them off was the light and heat of fire, and the light of day._

_To protect themselves, the Cree carved the visage of Madahee into the trees and rocks to ward off the monsters, as well as create totems to be laid around the forest in hopes that the spirits of animals would protect and guide those who ventured into the woods. It was a dark time for the Cree. The tribe lived in fear, spring was long off, and food was getting scarcer and scarcer. Makkapitew and her wendigo children attacked every night, and the wendigo's presence cursed the land and influenced more and more people into cannibalism, creating more Cold Ones if they were not found and slain before they could transform. For many moons, it seemed that hope was lost._

_Then, one day, the chief, whose name was Matunaagd, he-who-fights, cried out to the Great Spirits of the mountain, of the land and sky, of the animals, and all who would hear his prayer. _

"_Oh, Great Spirits!" He begged, "Hear my cry! My people are dying, our children are starving, and the land is plagued by evil. I beg you, give me the means to kill the Cold Ones and drive the wendigo from the mountain forever!"_

_Madahee answered him. The Great Spirit of the mountain appeared before Matunaagd and said, "I hear you, brother. The land is unbalanced, death taints the air, and the Cold Ones seek to kill all life. You who are of pure spirit, you who only wish to help your people, I will give you the strength to defend and attack. When the moon is full and shines bright, go up the mountain where the trees are thickest. There, you will find the wolf Megedagik, kills-many. Megedagik has lived for many years and has grown very large with teeth sharp and strong enough to bite through bone, and a hide that can heal from any wound. Many had tried to slay him, but many had failed. Fight him, overcome him, and take his pelt." _

_Madahee then gave the chief five gifts to help him slay the mighty wolf. _

_The first were the purple petals of a poisonous flower._

"_Megedagik's favorite thing to eat is elk liver. Go out and hunt an elk, cut out its liver, and stuff it with the flower. The poison will make him weak."_

_The next were three arrowheads crafted of silver and taken from the heart of the sacred mountain._

"_Heat the arrowheads under fire, so that when they pierce him, they burn the wound and slow his healing."_

_The last was a sharp knife made of silver like the arrowheads._

"_To pierce his hide and skin him."_

_With that said, Madahee sent the chief on his quest. He traveled up the mountain for many days, guided by Butterfly visions to avoid the wendigos and arrive where the trees were thickest. First, he hunted a young elk, thanked it for its sacrifice and killed it quick and clean with arrows made of flint. He cut open its belly and stuffed its liver with the purple petals. Next, he built a small fire to heat his silver arrowheads as the sun sank and the moon rose. When it was highest in the night sky, Megedagik appeared from the shadows. _

"_What is this?" Asked the wolf as he beheld the chief and the slain elk._

"_Oh, great Megedagik, please spare me!" The chief wailed. For you see, the chief was clever as he was fierce, "Please, I beg you, take my elk and not my life!"_

_Megedagik Kills-many laughed and stepped forward, "Foolish chieftain. The winter is cold, and food is scarce. My belly rumbles and after I eat this deer, I will eat you!" Megedagik said this and shoved his nose into the deer, gobbling up the liver in a single bite. _

_No sooner had he done so Matunaagd he-who-fights brought up his bow and fired the first silver arrows. The first struck the wolf's shoulder, the second his side, and the third, his leg. Megedagik kills-many howled in pain and charged, who brought up his silver knife and meet the great wolf head on. Poisoned and wounded, Megedagik was still strong, fierce, and fast. He lunged and wrapped his teeth around the chief's neck. At the same time, the chief drove the knife into the wolf's heart. They fell to the ground, their blood mixing in the snow as they died._

"_I am sorry brother! I need your pelt so I can kill the wendigos!" The chief gasped._

_Little did the chief know that Megedagik hated the wendigos as much as he did. _

"_The Cold Ones! I hate them as well. Very well, little chief!" Megedagik said as he died, "You may have my pelt, but I will not die! My spirit will live on in you! When the moon shines full and bright, I will wear my skin again!" _

"_Then we will share a body, brother." The chief accepted. _

_With that said, Megedagik died and let his spirit pass through his teeth, through the bite, and into the chief. _

_The chief's neck was healed, and he stood up from the ground. Matunaagd he-who-fights skinned Megedagik kills-many and took his pelt to wear. Under the light of the moon, Matunaagd changed into a creature that was both wolf and man with a burning desire to hunt and kill the Cold Ones. He had all Megedagik's powers, his healing, his strength, his speed, eyes, ears, teeth, claws, and nose. Only now, he could walk on two legs and had the cunning of man. He went back to his tribe and told them of what had happened. Now with the strength to end the monsters that plagued his people, he told them that they would set a trap for the wendigos and end this scourge once and for all. They built a bonfire on the outside of the village's protection that would burn hot and bright through the night. Matunaagd danced around the bonfire all night, challenging the wendigos and singing war songs of his people. _

_Matunaagd knew they were coming. The wendigos smelled like death and decay, and he had the nose of a wolf. They could no longer hide in the shadows, for he could see in the dark. He heard them coming, for his ears were sharp. All they saw was a man dancing weaponless and alone in front of a fire, and while they feared it, the chief looked like easy pickings. When they attacked, Matunaagd transformed, and met them tooth to claw. The wendigos claws cut deep into his flesh and stained the snow red, but the wolfman healed from every wound. With his great strength, he would toss them about like stones and smash them into the ground, taking them in his mighty jaws and flinging them into the bonfire. As they burned to death, the wendigo spirit was released back into the air. _

_Finally, the only one left was the one who started it all._

_Makkapitew had watched the battle from the trees as the many wendigos were defeated one by one. You see, Makkapitew was cunning as she was evil, and she used her great strength to push a tree down onto the bonfire to break it apart and scatter the fire. Fueled by evil hunger and rage, she leapt from the darkness and met the werewolf in single combat. So fierce and strong was she that they were evenly matched. The wolfman's claws and teeth glanced off her tough skin, and every wound she dealt instantly healed. Their battle cries shook the mountain until dawn, for when the sun rose, Makkapitew turned and fled, for the sun was warm and bright like fire, and the wendigos hate it. Exhausted from the battle, the wolfman chieftain vowed that he would kill the one-who-has-big-teeth, and all the wendigos, to the ends of the earth if he had to. _

_To ensure that no more wendigo would haunt the tribe, the Cree devised a plan to seal the evil spirits away. They crafted masks and symbols of the wolf and Madahee, built great fires while chanting war songs and battle-cries, led by their Wolf-Chief. They called upon the might of the Great Spirits, and with the help of Madahee, they chased the wendigo spirits away and sealed them deep within the mountain, locking them beneath the stone and rock._

_And so it went. The curse of the wendigo had been lifted from the Cree, although the Makkapitew still roamed free, chased by the Wolf-Chief to the furthest and loneliest reaches of the mountain. Whenever they would clash, their battles would be fearsome, though they could never kill the other. On the nights where the moon was fullest, the spirit of Megedagik kills-many would take his skin once again and roam the forests at night, seeking elk liver, and to hunt wendigo for himself. _

_But the story does not end there, for as the seasons passed, the chief grew old, and the Makkapitew still roamed free. Soon, he would die, and the tribe would be vulnerable._

"_What shall we do?" The old chieftain asked the wolf spirit living inside him, "I am old, my body is weak though our spirit is strong. How can I leave this world knowing that they will be at risk?"_

"_I know a way." Answered the wolf inside him, "Tell your oldest son to mee us under the great pine tree outside the village. When the moon is full and I take my skin again, I will bite them, and our nature will pass into him as mine did to you. He will become his own wolf and lead our people when we pass." Over the years, the two spirits of man and wolf had truly become one. The two spirits lived in one body, but had eventually become one, as we are all one in the end. _

_The chief accepted, and so it went. _

_The Chief's oldest son whose name was Mingan, grey-wolf, met his father under the great pine outside of the village when the moon was full and bright. There, he accepted the Bite and became the second Wolf-Chief to be created. And so it went, from father to son, mother to daughter, generation to generation, the Bite was passed down through the chief's bloodline and the Cree people. All possessed the strength and powers of the first. Their__ only weakness was that which brought down Megedagik kills-many. His hide remembered the burn and sting of silver, and the poison of the flower that would one day be known as wolfsbane._

_And so it went, until the white man came to the mountain and drove the Cree people away. From there, the wolfmen were lost, scattered to the wind, and the mountain had no champion for when the spirit of the Wendigo was unleashed once more._

* * *

James came back to his body with a gasp and nearly toppled forward onto his face. His body had broken out in a cold sweat and he was shaking like a leaf. Slowly, so, so slowly, he lifted his gaze to look back at Madahee, the Spirit of Blackwood Mountain, Protector and Teacher of the Cree. Suddenly, he felt very, very small, like he was sinking into the earth. He felt so in over his head he didn't know what to do other than sit and stare. Fight or flight wasn't even an option. Where could he possibly run to? And fight? How does one fight a whole mountain, let alone the avatar of one?

"That…that was…" He gasped.

"The past." Madahee said in a level voice, "And the truth behind your blessing."

The words didn't make sense to James at first, but when he guessed what his 'blessing' was, deep-seated bitterness and fury boiled inside him and he shot to his feet. All fear was gone, replaced by a mix of incredulity, despair, and rage at the mere suggestion his curse was anything but that, a _curse_, and he said as much.

"Blessing? You…do you have any idea-! This is a curse!" He spat.

"It is a blessing! A blessing of your ancestors. Only those who are descendants of the Wolf-Chief can bear the spirit of the Wolf." Madahee intoned.

The words made a worm of confusion and curiosity wiggle through James' anger and he paused.

"I…I'm Cree?" He asked.

"I am." Beth spoke up from beside him, "On my grandmother's side. Me, my mom, Josh…Hannah." Her voice broke upon uttering her sister's name, "We got some Cree in our family."

"It is faint, but it is there, young wolf. The blood of Matunaagd flows in your veins." Madahee added before he leaned forward and stared James down with the full weight of his gaze boring into him, and James noticed how Madahee's dark eyes did not reflect the firelight, "Blackwood Mountain needs a Wolf-Chief, James Steele, now more than ever. When the white man came and tunneled deep into the mountain, the wendigo spirits your ancestors trapped there were freed. They swarmed the mountain, swarmed _me! _Their hold on the mountain grew stronger with each one they possessed, and when they were strong enough, they forced me out!" Madahee's angry voice rumbled like an avalanche, and Wolfie's ears flattened against his head and he whined while James gritted his teeth when the ground underneath them shook again. Madahee exhaled a long, weary sigh and stared into the crackling flames, "I could never truly banish them. Here the land is cold and remote, and the wendigo thrives in both. It is a hateful spirit of lonely places, and when the Cree, my people and children left my shadow, there was no one to challenge them. Only blood of Matunaagd and the spirit of Megedagik could push them back. Only the spirit of the Wolf, one who perseveres, survives, and thrives throughout the coldest and loneliest of winters can destroy the wendigo's spirit. One kills for necessity, for the good of the pack. The other kills to fill a hunger that can never be sated. One has a warm coat to keep him safe from the biting cold. The other has let the cold turn their heart to ice. One fights to protect and avenge. The other fights because they are hateful and cruel. One is born through the bite of teeth under moonlight. The other is created by cannibalism. Both have fangs, both have claws, both do not feel the winter cold and cannot be killed by mortal means, but both are so different from one another that they can do nothing else but clash."

"What's the point of fighting, then?" James asked Madahee as confusion overtook him. The thought had begun nagging in the back of his mind when Madahee finished speaking, "If they can't kill each other, then why fight? The wendigos are just going to keep coming!" He snapped with a snarl of anger that came out of nowhere and made him reel from the seemingly random burst of passion.

"Matunaagd's hatred of the Cold Ones burns within you." Madahee said in an almost approving tone before he straightened and began again, "There is a way, young one. One that was known to few and `difficult to perform."

James stilled and stared at Madahee, "You know how to do it? Kill the wendigo spirit?" Then he remembered how Jack said there was a way to permanently destroy the spirit, but that it had been lost.

"I do." Madahee answered.

Something not unlike anticipation wormed its way into James' heart at the words and he sat and listened to the Great Spirit speak, "The only way to destroy a spirit is with another spirit. Megedagik was able to fill one's soul with the spirit of the wolf when his teeth pierced their flesh and the moon was full. You have that ability, too."

James frowned at the words, "What are you saying? I just need to…to bite a wendigo?" He asked in disbelief.

"Were it so easy, then the Cold Ones would have been destroyed many moons ago." Madahee rumbled, "The wolf's claws are sharp and his teeth sharper, but they could never pierce a wendigo's frozen skin. It is too tough, too strong! The only thing that will weaken it is-"

"Fire." James finished for him.

"Yes. They must be weakened by flame so your teeth can pierce their spirit. You ancestors tried many a time, but…well, it is difficult to fight and hold a flame at the same time where the Cold Ones roam. Before the white men built their tunnels, the wendigo kept to the furthest and coldest reaches of the mountain."

James stared at him, "So…so I need to set one on fire and _then_ bite it?"

Madahee shrugged, "I did say it was difficult."

A short bark of hopeless laughter fled James' lips, "It's impossible! That's…I don't even know how you could possibly pull that off!" He finished and let his head fall into his hands.

"I mean, it can't be that hard, can it?" Beth piped up. At his incredulous stare, Beth shrugged, "What? I mean, Jack's got a flamethrower, I'm sure you two can work something out. He burns 'em and you bite 'em!"

"I CAN'T CONTROL IT!"

His yell echoed into the swaying pines and the snowfall. The only sound that followed was the campfire crackling and his heavy breath. The werewolf had his head down and was staring at the stalks of grass beneath him that were miraculously resisting the snowfall. Magic, he guessed, it had to be magic.

Madahee spoke into that silence. His voice, while not quiet by any means, was confident and sure.

"Yes, you can."

"I've tried." James' voice was breathy and tired, "I've tried everything I could, but I can't control it…I can't control the Wolf."

"Have you truly tried to control it? Or have you tried to suppress it?" Madahee challenged, "You use the weaknesses Megedagik's spirit was branded with to punish yourself! You weaken yourself, you burn yourself, you poison yourself! I will tell you here and now to stop! You gain nothing from the maiming of your own spirit!"

"That thing is not me! It's not!" James denied hotly. His hair whipped against the sides of his scalp when he violently shook his head in denial, "You don't know what happened! That…that _monster _killed my friends! It killed my uncle!"

"I know Fate has not been kind to you." Madahee said somberly, "Your spirit is wounded, and the butterflies of your fate are brown with loss-"

"Oh, you don't say!" James snapped harshly as his eyes began to sting.

"-But you must listen, young one! The spirit of man and wolf must be united for there to be control! Your ancestors struggled with the same challenge. Some would spend weeks, even months out in the deep forests and away from the tribe so when the moon came, none would be harmed! They would meditate and commune with the spirit of the wolf inside them until they became one. They would even seek my help, if it was required to hold the spirit back." A pause, and then Madahee said, "How else do you think you have lasted so long without the poison to keep the moon at bay?"

James looked up at the Great Spirit and stared in a mixture of shock and wonder, "You're why I've stayed human all this time?" He asked in amazement.

"In part." Madahee nodded gravely, "Though my power is weak and my hold wanes, I have enough control to keep the Wolf inside you from running free. As I said before, I have brought you here so that we may speak. You ask of how to control the Wolf? I am telling you; your grief and hatred towards yourself must be let go if you are to do so. Blackwood mountain needs a Wolfman once more, James Steele, now more than ever. The Cold One's grip over the mountain grows stronger every night, and I can no longer keep their evil contained. Eventually, they will travel beyond the mountain and into the lowlands where more people live, and nothing will stop them."

James opened his mouth to speak more angry words of grief and defiance. His hatred towards the Animal and himself ran too deep. He wanted to scream that the spirit was wrong, that it was impossible to control the monster, that the Wolf was evil, but something pressed against his knee and he looked down to see Beth's faintly luminescent and see-through hand resting there. There was no warmth, no cold, no temperature he could feel through his shredded clothing, but her touch had weight and he could feel her fingers digging into his skin. When he looked at Josh's sister, he was surprised to find that there were tears in the corners of her eyes that burned with desperation and fear.

"James?" She said after a moment of silence. Her voice was quiet and shaky with the effort of someone holding back tears, "If you don't do this? Everyone might die."

They way she said 'everyone' had ice water pooling in his stomach, "What do you mean?" He asked quietly.

"I'm talking about the others! Josh, Matt, Jessica, and everyone else that isn't dead yet might die tonight!"

"Matt and Jessica are already dead." James said hollowly.

Beth shook her head, "They're alive. They made the right choices. Jessica's hurt bad and Matt's lost, but they're alive."

Relief shot through James and he sagged with the emotion before blurting out, "They are!? Where are they? Can you take me to them?"

"They're down in the mines." Beth said and stared off into the distance, "Matt and Jessica will find each other, but if they're not careful Ha-…the Makkapitew is going to get them."

The title was spoken deliberately, like she was about to say something but stopped to correct herself and made James uneasy in ways he couldn't describe. Just then, he remembered things that Jack said when he told them what happened the night of the prank and frowned.

"Wait." He said, "Jack said he killed the Makkapitew. He said he tried to save you and Hannah, but…" He swallowed then, realizing he was retelling the death of someone who was sitting right next to him. He looked at Beth and started to apologize, but the dead girl held up a hand and shook her head.

"It's okay." She said and stared off into the distance, "It chased us over the edge. Jack tried to help us but…" She stopped and shook her head sadly before continuing, "The Makkapitew he killed was the one from the story. She was real, James. Real as you and me. Ask him." She nodded at Madahee who nodded in confirmation.

"Despite the many hunts and battles with the Wolfmen, she survived time's passage. As the generations passed, she was no longer viewed as being once human. Her name became a title that was feared and whispered among the Cree. Names have power, young wolf, never forget that."

"But wait, so how…oh." James whispered as he remembered, "Right. _Doused it with fire..._"

"And for the first time, Makkapitew's evil spirit was released into the air." Madahee intoned.

"And she found someone else to possess?" James guessed.

Madahee's tone and expression shifted into one of sympathy when he spoke next, "Yes. She did."

From James' left, Beth sniffled.

James turned and looked at the ghost girl, who was staring out into the darkness of the trees, and a realization struck him then, along with a horrible, _horrible _thought when he remembered that two sisters had disappeared that night, and only one of them was in front of him.

"Beth?" He asked softly, hesitantly, "…Where's Hannah?"

"I died from the fall…" Beth said in a shaky voice and turned to look at him with eyes wet with tears and haunted by pain. All she said was two words, "…Hannah didn't."

For a moment, James stared at the ghost, unblinking and uncomprehending. Then it clicked, and his stomach _dropped._

"Oh…oh, Beth…" He gasped out as a cocktail of horror, shock, sympathy, and despair shot through him. Pictures of Hannah Washington flashed through his mind, and he recoiled when the grizzly face of the Makkapitew replaced her, "That…that _thing_ is…Hannah?" He asked quietly, "_She's _the Makkapitew?"

"She was down there for so long with no way out…long enough for that _thing _to get its claws into her." Beth spat and stared at the ground, "That's not my sister anymore! It hasn't been for a long time…what's left is just all hunger and evil." Beth shut her eyes and grimaced, "The worst thing is that part of her is still in there. She remembers faces, and I think…I think she remembers the prank. That's why she won't stop hunting everyone, and she's not gonna stop until everyone's dead." She looked up at him and all but pleaded, "That's why we need you, James! You're the only one that can stop the wendigos!"

James stared at the grieving girl before looking towards the Great Spirit, who was still watching them with silent intensity. He thought of what they had asked of him, of what they were telling him to do, and thought it still impossible.

"Beth, I can't! I can't control it!" His voice was weak and quivering and sounded pathetic to his own ears. Shame burned inside of him when teardrops trailed down Beth's cheeks in sparkling rivulets that vanished into thin air before they even touched the ground.

Beth swiped at her cheeks and shook her head, "You still don't get it do you?" She said under her breath before she looked him in the face, "I have spent a year here, James. I watched my starving sister _eat_ _my corpse_ and watched her turn into a _monster_. All I could do was _watch _as that _thing _took my sister…I watched it crawl around the mountain and kill _everything _it could…and I could do nothing. Nothing but watch…until you."

"…What?" James asked.

"Madahee showed me things that might happen to everyone, tonight, James. You know what happens if they all don't make the right choices?"

He knew he was going to regret asking, but he did anyway. Swallowing past a lump in his throat, James asked, "What happens?"

Beth turned to Madahee, and said, "Show him what you showed me…all of it." She choked.

James looked back and forth from the Great Spirit to the ghost, "Show me what?" He demanded and began to stand up.

"Look around you." Beth said and motioned to the totems with her hand, "You'll see."

Despite the foreboding in her words, James did just that, and instantly regretted it. All five totem poles were facing backwards now, and James saw how there were six separate sections, each marked with the shape of what looked like a horizontal hourglass. It vaguely resembled a butterfly's wings more than anything. The color of the totem outlined the shape, and it was then James recalled the plaque on the statue on the trail to the ski lodge. The colors had different meanings to the Cree, white for fortune, yellow for guidance, brown for loss, red for danger, and black for death. The hourglass shapes were somehow beyond just black, and were hollow and empty, like he was staring into the abyss, and they sucked him _in-_

On and on it went, random images and flashes of things, events, people, places, actions. Some he knew, some he could guess, some had already happened, some he had been a part of, and some were without him. All of them involved the group in one way, shape, or form involving their gruesome deaths, choices, and actions.

_-Beth slamming back-first onto a protruding stone with a scream and loud CRACK before rolling to a stop next to a bloody Hannah-_

_-A robin fluttering down onto a snow-covered table while someone ducked out of sight-_

_-Mike screaming in agony, two of his fingers caught in the jaws of a bear trap-_

_-Emily letting out a death cry as her body was_ engulfed_ in flames and she hit the floor-_

_-Josh in his psycho getup punching Ashley to the ground with a bloody hole in his left shoulder-_

_-A bruised and battered Jessica in her underwear sitting up from the bottom of a mineshaft-_

_-Jessica falling to the ground, her lower jaw missing and bloody and her eyes wide and sightless-_

_-A bellowing elk with a heard at its back-_

_-A great waterwheel spinning in place with the shape of someone clambering towards it-_

_-Mike petting Wolfie-_

_-A body dangling upside-down from the ceiling while a wendigo's infernal shrieks rang out-_

_-Ashley's decapitated head falling to the floor with a wet squelch-_

_-Matt outside of a closed door, lantern in hand, while it thudded against its hinges and a wendigo roared-_

_-Matt's smashed-in face, his bulging eyes staring out of exposed sockets-_

_-Mike on the ground flicking his lighter, followed by an outward explosion of fire-_

_-Matt falling from high up and hitting a rock, blood bursting from where his head struck-_

_-Emily handing Matt a flare gun-_

_-Chris hobbling inside the lodge, Ashley holding the door open, the wendigo screaming in fury-_

_-Chris holding a gun to his jaw before slamming it down on the table-_

_-Emily's head slamming against the wall as a gunshot rang out, her left eye a red hole and her mouth hanging open, and someone screamed-_

_-Mike dodging the arm of a wendigo reaching through bars-_

_-Mike hesitating while holding a pistol and pulled away with a look of pained frustration-_

_-Mike fending off a wendigo standing over and swiping at him-_

_-What looked like Josh, the left half of his face twisted and scarred, grunting as he turned around, long teeth exposed in the low light-_

_-Josh's head being squeezed by the Makkapitew-_

_-Sam struggling in the Makkapitew's grasp before it shoved its arm through her stomach and her expression turned to agony-_

_-The lodge in flames, silhouettes of people getting up from the snow around it-_

_-The shape of the Makkapitew stalking towards a motionless Sam-_

_-Mike facedown, bloody, and burning from the firestorm around him-_

_-A wendigo leaping around the inside of the lodge-_

James came back to himself with a gasp and collapsed to his knees, shaking like a leaf. His core rocked, and his world shaken from what he'd seen, James looked at her and panted in a trembling voice, "That…that was-"

"What could have happened tonight if you weren't here." Beth answered quietly, "These totems are special. They're carved and blessed to keep the Wendigos at bay. Jack was going to lay them all around the mountain, but…plans changed because of you."

"Plans?"

Madahee spoke next. His low, gravelly voice carried over to James ears and made the werewolf turn to look at him, "The night you were bitten, you were brought to my attention, but you were so far from me. I could not reach you, could not send you guidance, assistance, or even dreams." The Great Spirit's face did not change, but James thought he heard his voice become somber, "The one who bit you had been found by those who wish to rid my mountain of evil."

"The Council of Elders." Beth elaborated, "They know about the wendigos, about the curse. They tried their best to keep people off the mountain and keep the wendigos secret. The last thing they wanted was someone trying to capture them and experiment on them like the Sanitorium. It's why they were always so against my parents building a ski resort here, but…dad got his way in the end." Beth said sadly. She sighed and continued by poking him lightly in the arm, "Most importantly, they've been trying to find a werewolf to station on the mountain and help Jack. Trapping wendigos isn't going to break the curse, but a werewolf? That'll turn the tide."

James' mouth fell open slightly. Holy shit, Mike was right! There was a conspiracy, if you could call it that! It made sense, though…

"So," James began as he tried to bring his thoughts together and went over what the two sprits had said to ask his questions, "So, the council found one? A werewolf?"

"Yes." Madahee intoned, "So desperate were they, that they turned a blind eye to his dark heart. In a way, he was a wendigo in his own right; taking pleasure in shedding blood and bringing pain, using the power of the Wolf to do so, but he fled them and traveled south, to further himself from my influence. He would never had heeded my call. Hope was lost, and I feared the Cold Ones would overtake me, but then I felt a new Wolf be born from moonlight; _you!_ Not only that, I felt the life of the one who bit you extinguish on the same night."

"Wait!" James exclaimed, "The one who bit me is…he's dead?!"

"Yes, though I know not how. You both were so far from me that I could feel the strength of your spirits, but I could not see, nor hear, nor know what occurred. What I do know is that he died, you became the last Wolf, and I dared to hope. It was…a great relief, when I sensed you going travelling north. The you came closer towards me, I did everything in my power to aid and guide you, calling upon fellow spirits of the land to bring you to the mountain."

James mouth went dry as his mind raced. He thought of his flight to Calgary, and all the odd little things that had seemed almost out of place at the time; an urge to move in a certain direction, a feeling here, a pull there, a scent on the wind, an event that made him take a specific path …

"The bear…" He suddenly said aloud, "When I was crossing the border, I was being chased…there was this bear that came out of nowhere and threw them off…that was you, wasn't it?"

A simple nod was his answer.

James licked his lips, "I had dreams, too…I remember them, now. They were…they were of the mines…I saw the bow and arrow…"

Another nod.

"Sam's farm…me meeting her? Everyone? Was that you, too?"

"I am not that powerful, young one." Madahee said in a voice that was almost dry, "Fate works in strange ways. The way you stumbled upon her friends," Madahee nodded to Beth, "Was entirely chance, although, it was a welcome one."

"Josh started planning his prank." Beth said sadly, "There was nothing we could do, James. You need to understand, Josh is…he's sick. Really, really sick! Ever since he was little! Mom and dad took him to therapists and psychiatrists, and they gave him medicine for anxiety and depression, but it didn't help. I think he has schizophrenia. I brought it up to my parents, but…I don't think they want their son labeled as crazy." She spat bitterly, "Anyway, when we found out he was bringing you all to the mountain-"

"We?" James questioned.

"Yeah, _we._" Beth said with a chuckle, "Me, Jack, and Madahee. We're the only ones looking after Blackwood Mountain; the last line of defense against the wendigos."

"Jack knows about you?"

Beth shrugs, "Jack knows the spirits look out for him. Madahee sent him a dream to build the totems up here in the old hunting grounds instead of scattering them around. Then, when you arrived, we had to find a way to get you here. We were really lucky." Idly, she quirked another small smile and nudged his side with an elbow, "Your welcome by the way!"

James blinked, "Huh?"

Beth saw him looking and she smiled and nodded at Madahee, "Like I said, I told him I'd bring you here."

James' eyes widened and he looked over towards Wolfie, who was still laying at Madahee's side and watching them with yellow eyes.

"No way." He said flatly.

"Mhm!" Beth said.

"You can possess animals?" James asked in amazement.

Beth waved her hand from side-to-side, "Not really possess. I ask, and its up to them if I can walk in their skin for a bit. When you came back to the Sanitorium, I helped you and Mike along, but I was really trying to get you here. Also…_Wolfie? _Seriously? You know he's not even a full wolf. He's a wolfdog."

James sighed, "Mike's choice, not mine."

"Figures…" Beth groaned. "Without me, you'd have been lying outside the lodge, too."

James' head suddenly whipped around to stare at the ghost, "Wait a minute…you were the wolverine!" He declared.

"Yup." Beth said, popping the 'p' again, "Can I just say you are really heavy? It was not easy dragging you into the woods."

"So, why were you in the lodge?" James asked as he remembered the furry creature darting out of the front door, "Were you waiting for me to deliver a message or something?"

At that, Beth winced, "Kinda? Yeah, uh…let's just say I got stuck."

"You got _stuck?" _

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Time grows short, young ones." Madahee brought their attention back to him.

"Right." Beth said, "Look, James? I know this is all crazy, but you need to understand how important you are tonight. Everything you saw? Those visions? That's what _could _have happened if you weren't here. You've changed everything. Now there's a chance to finally stop the wendigos for good and get everyone off the mountain alive!"

James couldn't deny the sense of savage pleasure that came at the thought. Maybe he was growing to hate the monsters just as much as the Wolf inside him. Better than fear, he supposed. Still, there was one problem Beth was not addressing.

"But to do that, I need to transform." He stated, "And it's almost dawn! I don't exactly have a lot of time, Beth! What's to say I won't go kill everyone along with the wendigos?"

"You will not." Madahee said calmly, "Though you may deny it, your heart remembers the ones you call friends. The wolf will know them as pack. Though your spirits are separate, you and the wolf inside you both have a common enemy."

"The wendigos." James guessed.

"Yes. Use that, James Steele. Use it to influence the wolf, to seek out and destroy that which threatens the pack. You are correct when you say you do not have much time. My influence over the moon's pull wanes upon you. Once you leave this circle, my hold on you will eventually fade, and you will be under the moon's sway again."

James became very, very still.

Madahee sighed, long and low, and a gust of howling wind followed. The sound was ancient, and somehow sad. The Great Spirit suddenly looked…tired.

"It is a terrible thing, the burden of choice. All choose the steps which shape their lives and hope for the best. I am no different in that regard. My choice to bring you here and ask to take up a mantle you did not know existed until now is one born of desperation. All I hope is that you choose to accept, James Steele. That is all I can do."

James sat there and stared into the fire. What even were his choices at this point? Stay here and, what, not transform while everyone struggled to survive? Or go out and become the Animal again? Did he even have a choice? Was there even one?

James let out a sigh similar to the Great Spirit's, "If I were to leave, how long can you keep me human?" He asked.

"Less than an hour." Madahee said. There was a glimmer in his eye, a spark of hope in his voice, "Should you leave the circle, head to the mines. Your friends are there and travelling straight into the Makkapitew's lair."

James' head shot up in alarm, "What?" He gasped, "Who? Why? Why aren't they at the lodge?"

"Josh is down there." Beth said tensely, "He's alive. I don't know what Hannah…what it wants with him, but it's kept him alive. I don't know why, but it can't be good. As for whose down there…" Beth seemed to stare off into the distance and gulped, "It's Mike and Sam."

James froze.

"They went after you guys after they read Jack's journal." Beth continued, "The wendigos are more dangerous than you know. They can copy words and sound like people you know."

He remembered one of the flashes he'd seen from the totems, what looked like Sam down in the darkness. Then, he thought of Josh, his head in the wendigo's grip, and the other vision of him halfway into a monster…

Slowly, James began to stand. He stood on his feet and stared across at Madahee, who stared right back.

"What I saw…those visions? You said they were of the others before I came here?" At the confirmatory nod, James clenched his fists and said, "What about mine?"

"You wish to know what your butterflies yield?" Madahee asked.

James frowned, "You don't know?"

"I am not all knowing. The past is easy to read, but the future is ever changing. If you look into the totems, they will only show you potential paths of the past, present, and future."

James grit his teeth, "Show me anyway!"

Madahee did nothing, but the totems on the other hand sucked him in like before. On and on it went, random images and flashes of things, events, people, places, actions. Some he knew, some he could guess, some had already happened, some he had been a part of, but now, all of them involved him in one way, shape, or form.

_-James reaching out to take the pouch of wolfsbane from Jack's hand-_

_-James struggling with someone on his back, a gasmask being pressed over his mouth-_

_-James giving Mike a boost over the wall to get into the sanitorium-_

_-James and the Makkapitew locked in combat, grappling with each other and thrashing about-_

_-James lying dead on the floor with unseeing eyes and the life draining out of his slashed throat, the Makkapitew standing above him-_

_-James staring up at the burning lodge as dawn broke over the horizon-_

James gasped out and stumbled in place when he came back to himself.

"What did you see?" Beth asked.

"A lot of things…" He whispered shakily, "I…I died."

"Which is just a possibility." Beth reminded him.

James shut his eyes and focused on that last image, "I also saw the lodge burning, but I was alive…"

"Not all fates can be avoided." Madahee said in response to that, "Tonight will always end the same; the Washington lodge in flames as the dawn rises."

"The Makkapitew gets into the lodge." James realized, recalling one of the visions that showed the monster stalking around in what looked like the living room, "I…I can't let that happen."

A gust of wind blew through the trees and made the campfire flicker. Silence reigned supreme for a long moment, before Madahee spoke, "Then you know what you must do."

James nodded, "Yeah." He whispered, "I…I'll do it…if it can save everyone…I'll do it."

"You must travel to the Makkapitew's lair. There, you will find your friends. It is hunting them, even now."

Beth stood up, then, "I'll take you there." Her voice quivered with anticipation, "There's a gorge that opens up over it. You can climb down into it from there."

"Okay." James nodded in grim determination.

The campfire suddenly began to die down. As the light faded, the darkness crept in, the air became cold once more, and the snow began to stick to the grass, James' fireside companions began to fade into the night as well. He looked around in alarm, but Madahee's voice echoed into his ears.

"Fear not, young wolf. Go. Go and embrace the spirit inside you. Go now and save your friends"

Beth's voice came from his left, "James? I know this is a lot to ask, but…can you look after Josh? What he did was awful, but…I don't want him to die…I don't want him to end up like Hannah."

James closed his eyes as the wind and snow whipped against his face, "I will." He growled in determination

"Thank you." He heard the ghost of Beth Washington whisper.

Then the howling wind was returned and sent snowflakes stinging against his cheeks. He opened his eyes and saw that Madahee and Beth were gone. The perfect circle formed by the totems was slowly being covered in snow, and the campfire in the center was just a mass of charred wood and cold ashes. The only thing that remained were the totems and Wolfie. The apparent wolfdog stood staring at him and whining lowly.

"Beth?" He asked softly.

A loud caw came from above him and he turned just in time to duck a crow that swooped low over his head. It landed in the snow by Wolfie and gave three loud caws, hopping and flapping its wings before taking off and landing a-ways away on a low hanging branch. It eyed him before flapping its wings and cawing again. Wolfie suddenly let out a long howl and ran towards the crow, and the two animals ran into the forest.

The wolfdog's cry lit a fire in James' blood. It was a call to arms, to hunt_, _to_ fight! _His breath came out in pants and his necklace burned against his skin as he looked up at the moon and then down at his hands. No pain of transformation hit him despite the fact he had almost done so. He was still human.

Human _enough._

Testing fate, James shakily removed the necklace from his neck, and the primal power surged fresh and new, making him buckle and growl as he began to move. His clothes were shredded and torn to pieces, but he still had a remaining pocket, which he tucked the necklace into. He began to run, his arms pumping and his legs picking up speed, but he stumbled as something caught his foot. Snarling in annoyance, he looked down to see that the soles and toes of his boots had split when the Animal's toe-claws burst through, flapping open and slowing him down. A surge of aggression had him bending down to tear the hardy material apart with his bare hands until his feet were free of confinement. Then, he began to _**run.**_

The low light of the forest did nothing to hamper him as he tracked the wolfdog and the crow. He tracked them by scent and sound, following their trail through brush and bramble, winding around trees, and smashing through branches. He bounded through the thick snow, over fallen trees and rocks until he was on their tail. They led him down the mountain this time through worn paths used by elk judging from the smell. The whole time, James was letting his body do the work and kept running with the same thoughts going around and around in his head.

_Get to the mines._

_Get to Josh._

_Get to the others._

_Get to Sam!_

A sharp branch caught the remnants of his shredded shirt and ripped it open to expose even more of his flesh to the wind and cold. It didn't slow James down in the slightest. Any branches or boughs, brittle from winter, were smashed away by his arms as he flung himself forward. His body was on _fire! _For once, not in agony, but from his blood pounding through his veins, his heart thudding in his chest and the sensation that he had never felt more _**ALIVE! **_

Wolfie bounded down a steep drop up ahead while the crow kept on flying straight and true. James jumped it with a growl, slamming hard into the snow and kicked off running after his animal guides. They were on a wider path, now, a human path clear of underbrush. Surprised, James looked around, wondering just where on the mountain they had gotten to. He didn't know how long they'd been running, but they'd been running long, hard, and fast.

Suddenly, it came to an end.

James slowed to a stop when his guides did, the crow alighting on a sign that read MINING PROPERTY NO TRESPASSING, and Wolfie stopping just before the great pit laying open in the snow. A wooden sign lay in the snow that read DANGER CLIFF EDGE, and James cautiously approached past Wolfie onto an overlook that peered down into the dark. He saw that the chasm sloped slightly as it went downwards, and there were enough natural outcroppings to act as handholds.

"So, this is it, huh?" James said and looked over to Wolfie and the crow. The crow cawed once before hopping into the air and vanishing into the sky. Wolfie stayed there and stared at him with his head cocked to the side. James looked down into the pit and then back at the wolfdog. Letting out a sigh, he said, "Beth, if you're there…thank you…if not, well…" James took a knee and gently reached out to stroke the canine's fur, "Thanks Wolfie." He said. The wolfdog crooned low in his throat at the attention, and James smiled and stepped back, "Wish me luck." Was all he said before he turned around to face the pit.

His strong fingers gripped the stone to lower himself down, and slowly, he began to descend.

* * *

_Josh_

…Why?

"_NO! GET AWAY!"_

Why did everything go so wrong?

"_I DON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU!"_

He didn't think…he didn't think things would end up like this…

"_**JOSH…"**_

_Why?_

"_I didn't want you to die, I swear!"_

How could everything have ended up like this?

"_AHHH!"_

All he wanted was Hannah and Beth back…

"_**IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?"**_

All he wanted was his sisters…

"_**WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE US JOSH? WHY DID YOU WANT US TO DIE?"**_

Not…not this…

"JOSH!"

A howl sliced through the nightmare and chased away the gore, noise, and his sisters. Josh turned around and saw it land on the ground before rising onto two legs and begin walking towards him. Wooly, black hair covered its powerful body and its orange eyes glinted in the low light. It's claws, long and sharp, stretched towards him as its muzzle parted.

"Josh?" It roared.

"No, no-GET AWAY!" He screamed.

The monster reached up to put something shiny around its neck as it kept walking forward. Butterflies of all colors were flying around it, now, white, brown, yellow, red, and black. He knew what they meant but he didn't, and everything made sense but it still didn't and Hannah and Beth oh god he was so sorry, so sorry sorry_sorrysorryWHY!?_

"Josh!"

Josh blinked, and the werewolf was gone. The noises were gone, the monster was gone, the pig, the guts, the laughing, his sisters…all he saw was James standing before him, his silver necklace shining against his bare skin, and all he heard was their heavy breathing.

James gave his shoulders a shake, "Josh, it's me! It's James!"

His mind felt broken and slanted like a cracked mirror. It took him a moment for the words to register, and he dared to ask, "James?"

"It's me! I'm here…" The werewolf looked over his shoulder at something, "…Hello?" He called.

"James! Josh!"

"Holy shit!"

Josh turned around, and suddenly, they were there; Sam and Mike, jogging towards them. They both were shivering and soaked to the bone.

"Sam!" James rasped and stepped around him to sweep her up in a hug that looked fit to crush her.

"Oh god, I thought you were dead!" She exclaimed when she finally pulled free.

"When the Sanitorium blew up…" Mike panted, "I didn't know if…holy shit, Wolfy, what happened to you?"

James looked down at himself; completely shoeless, nearly shirtless, and wearing little more than rags, "A lot." He grunted.

Suddenly, Sam was in front of him, her face twisted in despair as she talked, "Josh…Hannah was down here for…weeks? A month? She dug Beth up-"

"Sam…" Mike interrupted.

"Mike!" Sam said warningly.

"Hey, let's just get the fuck out of here!" Mike snapped.

"Josh, do you have the key for the cable car?" Sam asked desperately.

"Uh…Y-yeah." He slurred and reached into his pockets to hand it to her, "Here."

"Oh good…" Sam muttered and turned to point up at the open hole bleeding moonlight to illuminate the cavern, "See that over there? That means there's a direct way out, come on!"

"It's how I got down here." James said as they walked towards the wall of the cave.

"You climbed down here?" Sam asked.

James seemed to wince as he walked into the moonlight and he squinted up at the full moon, "Listen, we don't have much time. We have to get out of here before the Makkapitew finds us."

"The what?" Sam asked.

"_One-who-has-big-teeth!" _A voice hissed in Josh's ear, but when he turned, there was no one there.

"Dude…are you okay?" Mike said cautiously while peering at James.

James closed his very, very, very, _orange_ eyes and let out a deep, rumbling sigh, "Like I said, we don't have time. I…I'm going to transform soon, and I don't know how much time I have left." He said.

Mike took a big step back while Sam gasped. Josh blinked when he swore he heard a wolf howl in the distance.

"I got some time." James said with an odd look that turned into an angry snarl, "But that _thing _is still down here! I can smell it!"

"The wendigo?" Mike exclaimed and looked around wildly.

"Yeah." James snarled, "That's why I came down here; to get Josh out! Then I was going to transform in the mine and tear that thing apart." James all but snarled.

"James…" Sam said quietly, 'We are not leaving you behind."

"Yeah, hell no!" Mike agreed hotly, "You're coming with us! No one else is dying down here!"

"Well, we got some time before dawn, so let's use it wisely." James said under his breath and stepped away from the moonlight, "Think we can all climb out of here?"

"There's no way Josh is gonna make it up there." Mike said.

"Okay, if you help me up, me and James can go back to tell the others we're okay." Sam said.

Josh watched James' face pinch in regret, "Sam, I gotta stay here. The Makka…the wendigo is down here. Do you think Josh could keep up if we had to make a run for it?"

"So, what are you gonna do, fight it off?!" Sam exclaimed.

"Yes!" James barked, "I have to, Sam! Josh is an easy target, right now! If it gets a hold of him, he's dead! I'm the only one who has a chance against that thing!"

Sam looked at James for a long moment before she snarled in frustration and agitation, "Fine!" She looked at Mike, "You bring Josh back the way we came, and we'll all meet at the lodge!"

"Be careful." Mike told her.

"You too." Sam muttered back and looked back at James, "I better see you there; _all_ of you there!" She said with an angry expression.

James said nothing but just stared at her. His brow crinkled and his eyes, still very orange, softened as they beheld her. In two strides he was before her, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her into a hug. Sam peered up into his face, and James stared down where he had her held to his broad chest. Then, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead, and Sam's eyes closed as he did so.

"You will." James rumbled lowly and released her, "Now, go." With that said, he bent low to pick her up like she weighed nothing and helped her get a footing on the rocks. They watched her climb up and away, and James turned back to Mike.

"Ready?" He grunted.

"Yeah." Mike said and patted Josh on the shoulder, "Alright let's go, you fucked up son of a bitch."

Together, they walked forward into the dank darkness.

Josh winced as his face began to throb again, and he said to Mike, "You didn't…you didn't have to hit me so much, man."

"Ah, yeah. I'm sorry about before, man. I thought you killed Jess…I was wrong."

"She's alive." James suddenly said, as if just remembering it, "Mike, Jess and Matt are alive!"

"What!" Mike demanded.

"I don't know where they are, but I know they're alive!"

"Why, did you see them? Or smell them or something?" He demanded.

"No, I…it's hard to explain. I'll tell you how later."

"We need to find them!" Mike exclaimed.

"Let's get out of here first." James said, "You need get out, get Josh to the lodge, _then _go look for them. Dawn's coming, and Jack said they only come out at night. They hate sunlight."

"I-but…fuck! Fine." Mike spat.

"I know." James muttered as they walked through a wooden doorway.

The moment they did, Josh looked up and stopped dead in his tracks. Bodies hung from the ceiling, headless bodies of everyone; Jessica, Ashley, Chris, Matt, Emily…

"No…No!" He gasped as his gorge rose.

"Josh!" James called.

Josh blinked, and all the bodies were gone.

"I…I don't know!" He whimpered.

James walked back to him and took him by the shoulder to gently lead him forward, "It's okay." He said in his ear, "We're gonna get out of here, I promise."

They turned the corner and walked out a door that opened into the mine. Josh looked down when his boots splashed in water and he choked back a cry of horror and revulsion when he saw all the decapitated heads floating in a puddle. He shut his eyes, grimacing as James pulled him forward, but when he opened them, the heads were gone.

"Alright." Mike said as they stopped at the ledge that dropped into an underground pool. He dropped down into the water and let out a hiss, "Way out's through here. Come on." He shivered.

James gave Josh a nudge forward, "Go, I'm right behind you."

Together, they dropped into the water. Josh barely felt a thing. It was cold, but everything seemed so distant and broken and so far away. James just grunted somewhat and helped guide him forward with a hand still on his shoulder. Josh appreciated it.

"How far, Mike?" James called as they slogged through the water.

"Not far." Mike said through chattering teeth and turned to look back at him, "We just gotta get to the other side first. There's a tunnel that-"

"MIKE!" James screamed in warning as movement in the water caught his attention.

Mike twisted about to see the danger and let out a scream as something grabbed him beneath the water and pulled him under.

"Mike!" James roared and began running forward.

Whatever was in the water rushed towards him, and before Josh could so much as blink, the monster erupted up in front of them in a shower of chilly water. James stared up at it before he let out a snarl and _launched _at it with a cry. The monster lashed out and grabbed James by the neck, lifting him up into the air with a scream, but James lashed out and kicked it square in the chest. It stumbled with a screech before it slashed him two times across the chest with its other hand and bodily hurled him onto the shore they just came from. Josh whimpered as he watched James hit the cavern wall and slump to the ground with a cry.

A shadow loomed over him, and Josh spun to the monster staring down at him with claws outstretched.

"NO!" He screamed at it, "You're not real! No, you're not!"

The monster didn't care. It lashed out and seized his shoulder in an icy grasp and held him there with its other arm held ready to strike.

That was when he saw the tattoo of a black butterfly just beneath its left shoulder.

No.

No, no, no, that was impossible! That was-

"_Josh…Hannah was down here for…weeks? A month? She dug Beth up-"_

Sam's voice, pregnant with grief, cut through his madness.

"Hannah?!" He cried out in shock.

Icy fingers gripped him as cold, rotten breath washed across his face. Those horrible, milky-pale eyes stared into his out of that nightmarish face, and jagged and mismatched fangs parted as the monster-_**NotrealnotrealHANNAH?!-**_unleased another rattling screech. The monster lifted him into the air, paused with claws curling in contemplation, before it brought him closer to stare at his face with another screech. The next thing he knew, he was on his back being tugged through the water.

"NO!" He shouted in panic and despair, "NO!"

Then, an angry bellow sounded over his cries of terror and the freezing claws released him when his captor was knocked away.

For a moment, Josh went underwater. The chill now stung him with a thousand needles of cold all at once and he thrashed to the surface spluttering, coughing, and shivering. He shuddered through the frigid agony and turned around towards the sound of screeching and angry snarls and gasped at what he saw.

James was there, riding atop the monster with one arm wrapped around its skinny neck in a chokehold, yanking it away from him. It-_**She?-**_screeched and flailed gangly limbs to rid the impromptu jockey as James beat at her head with his other hand. The water churned and frothed around the combatants as they thrashed, shrieked, and snarled with enough noise that Josh thought he'd go deaf. The scene barely lasted a few seconds before an obscenely long arm twisted around and deadly claws found purchase in James' flesh. He howled in agony, a sound more animal than human, and was flung into the water with a splash only to reemerge a moment later with a roar of defiance. Faint curls of steam rose off his hunched frame as bloody water dripped off him in pink rivulets. Blazing orange eyes wide with fury met Josh's own, and James' face contorted in a mix of anger and anguish.

"_GO!" _He howled before jumping back at Hannah with a snarl. The unprepared wendigo caught the flying tackle directly in her bony chest and they stumbled back into the water in a mess of flailing limbs and cries of fury.

And then suddenly, a very much alive Mike was there yanking on his arm.

"JOSH!"

"Mike!" Josh gaped at him.

"C'mon, we gotta go!" Mike shouted.

There was an explosion of water behind them, and both turned to see Hannah looming over James with dagger-like fingers aimed at his face. Her wrists were held fast in his grip as he struggled to keep her at bay, the two locked in a contest of strength.

"SO, WHAT DO I CALL YOU!" James all but roared at her. His face was twisted in pure rage, and Josh had never heard him sound so angry before. James leaned in and shouted, "HANNAH? OR MAKKAPITEW?"

With a scream of equal fury, Hannah reared back before lunging open-mouthed at his neck. James twisted just in time so that she only got a mouthful of his shoulder and let go of her wrist to punch the side of her head hard enough to knock her away. Chips of the wendigo's teeth poked from his skin while fresh blood poured down his chest and he clutched his wounded shoulder with a hiss.

"James!" Mike cried out as Hannah crouched low and disappeared under the water. A faint trail of ripples was the only warning before she burst from the water directly in front of the werewolf.

Josh didn't get to see what happened next. Mike grabbed his arm and pulled him away towards the other side of the pool where the two hauled themselves out onto the rocky shore. Josh's whole body was numb and hurting, and he struggled to rise from the gravel, his mind in shambles. Images of his baby sister's face morphing into that..._thing_ ran around and around inside his head as sheer cold bit him from every angle.

A hand grabbed his arm and hauled him onto his knees and out of his stupor, "C'mon, Josh! Get up!" Mike yelled over the sound of screeches and roaring.

"Hannah-" Josh guttered out as Mike pulled him onto his feet and dragged him into a run.

Josh glanced over his shoulder one last time to see James get picked up and hurled through the air by..._Hannah's _long arms.

The werewolf flew through the air and bounced off one of the waterwheel's rusty spokes with a scream and a sound of bones breaking before tumbling into the wheel itself and hit the water with a loud splash.

"J-James!" Josh gasped.

"Come on! Go!" Mike hollered as he shoved him forward into the darkness of the mines and away from the battle.

* * *

**Please let me know what you think of the chapter, Madahee, Beth, the legend I made up for the werewolves and the wendigo…everything! I'm so excited to know hear what you have to say, and PM me if you have any questions or comments.**

**Also, I learned that creating your own folktale is not as easy as it sounds, lol.**

**If anyone is wondering, the names I picked are real Cree names, secondary meanings and all. I also recommend if you are a fan of folktales and/or Native American mythology, to look up some of the Cree legends. First People tales are really interesting to hear about.**

**But anyway…*Grabs microphone***

**LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BOYS AND GIRLS! THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITNG FOR HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! THE SUPERNATURAL SMACKDOWN YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!**

**NEXT CHAPTER IS-**

**WEREWOLF**

**VERSUS**

**WENDIGO!**

**Edit; forgot to properly edit this one. Apologies for the previous mistakes**


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17: Resolution_

_James_

Broken darkness was all he could see. Fire throbbed through his leg, back, and side; probably broken bones and ribs. Every breath sent agony through his body, but that was okay. Pain was an old friend he knew all too well, but the freezing water surrounding him was a different story. He was struggling to keep his head above it, and he was barely able to move as it was.

Death by drowning. What a way to go…

The thought seemed to invoke a different sort of pain, a familiar one that came from deep inside of him. The Animal had been denied release for too long, held back by Wolfsbane, sheer will, and a Great Spirit's power. James could feel Madahee's hold over his curse waver and die, because all of a sudden, the transformation began with an intensity he'd never felt before. The Animal had been repressed long enough, and with all shackles gone, its release was as powerful as a dam bursting open.

The primal identity of the Wolf shoved itself into the forefront of his conscience, and for a moment, their minds were one.

Thoughts that were not his own rushed through his head; a rush of raw emotion and instinct that nearly crushed him like always, but something was different this time. His body had yet to fit that of the werewolf's shape and was still very human. It was enough for him to hang on for a few more precious moments and allow their two minds to mix and mesh. It was a bizarre, alien feeling that neither identity had ever experienced before, and the two were closer than they'd ever been. Every time James blinked, orange eyes and lupine features stared at him from the darkness of his lids.

Water pooled past his cheeks into his mouth and he began to cough and splutter with the Animal howling thoughts screaming, **"S**_**urvivesurviveSURVIVE!"**_

James could feel himself begin to knit back together as the werewolf's power rushed through him, but the pain he was feeling was replaced by the familiar agony of his body breaking and reforming to suit that of the Animal. James's consciousness was also beginning to fade as its presence grew stronger, but he couldn't go, not yet!

Not before he had his say.

_He focused on the wendigos; on their evil, vile stench of rot and decay. Their thin, gangly bodies. Their pale eyes and vicious fangs and claws. Their soulless hunger that threatened the balance of life and the people on this mountain..._

"K-kill them…" He spluttered weakly.

_Chris and Ashley huddled together, covered in blood and bruises… _

_Emily clutching at her shoulder with eyes wide and afraid…_

_Mike at his side as they ventured deeper into the darkness, the two of them putting aside their animosity and fear in the face of survival…_

James wouldn't die because the Wolf wouldn't let him. It was far more powerful than his fragile human body and possessed a strength to survive that he did not, and he _needed_ that strength right now because it was the only thing that could save the lives of the people he'd come here with-

_Jessica vanishing into the darkness in a shower of dust…_

_Horror and shock at the discovery that Matt was missing…_

_Josh's delirious eyes as he laughed and grinned and thanked them for their performances in a twisted game of grief and revenge…_

-And James the _human _might not be able to do that, but the Animal? It had a much better chance against the monsters out there than he ever could. He struggled to lift his mouth above the water again to croak out, "Kill them all!"

It felt his thoughts, saw his memories, and shared in the emotions it brought. Rage coiled in their minds and hearts as the body they shared shifted and changed further to suit the moon's call. For once, James welcomed it, _wanted _it! If what Madahee said was true, then his last coherent thoughts would be influencing the Wolf to hunt down and destroy the Cold Ones before they hurt anyone else!

The icy smell of death filled his nostrils as the Makkapitew approached, and its screech echoed through the cavern.

_Sam's green eyes were luminous in the dark, her skin cool and soft against his lips…_

A beam of moonlight fell across his face, and James screamed into the crushing blackness that rolled over his mind.

"KILL THEM _**ALL!"**_

His words morphed into a roaring howl as his body _exploded _into that of the werewolf's. Eight feet of black fur and muscle burst into being, lashing out wildly with fangs and claws. The Makkapitew jumped away from the newly awoken monster when it slammed into one of the water-wheel's spokes, swiping for it with opposable paws, and scrambled back to cling to a pillar of stone jutting from the water. Rising onto two legs the werewolf reared back and slammed its bulk into the spoke blocking its way and busted free with a BANG. The wooden support beams that then hindered its path were snapped and broken apart by its powerful arms so it could wade out into the pool. Its nose twitched, inhaling the scent of the wendigo, and turned nova eyes upon the spidery form clinging to the rockface. The werewolf unleashed a furious roar and the wendigo gave a rattling screech in reply before leaping with talons outstretch.

James slashed a paw through the air and swatted her down into the water just as quickly.

Hannah screamed and thrashed to right herself, but the werewolf plunged his muzzle into the water and seized one of her long legs in his teeth before turning and slamming her into one of the support beams behind him. The waterlogged wood, already weakened by time and James, cracked even further. The sound was drowned out by Hannah's scream of fury. She kicked at the werewolf's muzzle with her other foot and when he moved to pin her kicking leg, she leaned up and began tearing at his face and neck. James snarled in pain, let her go, and backed away from her sharp nails.

Hannah took the opportunity to twist underwater to scuttle off towards the other side of the pool where Mike and Josh had gone to, but the werewolf, whose wounds were already healing, turned just as the Makkapitew rose from the water. With a snarl, the black beast charged on all fours before leaping into the air. Hannah turned just as the werewolf landed on the shore in front of her and made the cavern shake from the impact. Wolfen muscle and fur rippled as he turned to block the way the humans had gone and faced her with teeth bared and hackles raised.

Hannah screamed in rage. Quick as a flash, she crouched and leapt onto the rock wall of the mine where she began to scale up and away. James lunged to get her, but the wendigo was too fast and scuttled off into the darkness of the mine.

The werewolf threw back his muzzle and let out a howl of frustration before giving chase.

_Matt_

Matt grunted, hopping down from a ledge to the next part of the tunnel. Pain shot up his leg and he straightened with a wince, stretched, and limped over to an old table with an old oil lamp and a lighter sitting on top of it. Picking up the lighter, he opened the lantern and lit the wick. Holding the lantern up, he began to turn around to find a bloody and disheveled Jessica in nothing but an old, heavy coat aiming a shovel at his head. Reacting on instinct, Matt managed to grab it mid swing, exclaiming as it broke upon him catching it.

"J-Jess? Is that you?" Matt gasped in disbelief.

Jessica's bottom lip quivered, and she dropped the broken handle, slouching forward.

Matt swallowed hard as his eyes ran over her. She was covered in several deep cuts, sported a nasty gash on her chest, and both her eyes were red and swollen. All in all she looked like hell warmed over.

"Jesus, Jessica, what the hell happened to you?" Matt questioned, completely astounded by how she was even still able to walk, "How the fuck are you still alive?"

"Yeah…" Jessica breathed, looking as if exhaustion and shock were taking its toll on the young girl.

"How did you end up down here?"

"Mike and I were…we were messing around and…" She croaked, "Then it…it was…"

"What?" He asked.

"I don't-I don't know…I was by the window and there was all this glass, and it was in the snow and then…it was…moving so fast, _fuck_…and then I was, um, down here…"

"Jesus." Matt swore.

"Oh god!" Jessica sobbed, looking at him with terrified eyes

"Can you move?" Matt questioned.

There was a paused, then Jessica replied with a pained, "Yeah…"

"Come on, Jess." Matt urged, moving past her down the tunnel and holding out the lantern to light the way.

The second they did, a shrill scream echoed through the tunnel. The two teens freezing with Jessica whimpering and Matt gulping as he thought back to the terrified moment of being dragged across rocks and gravel, and the light of the flare gun lighting up the darkness. Whatever had grabbed him had screamed like that, too. It must have grabbed Jessica as well. After a moment, they continued walking forward and toward what looked to be an old elevator. He paused as curiosity caught him and he crouched to stared down a grate covered by metal bars.

"Look at that. Some sort of cave-in here." Matt mused as he peered down at the crushed rocks beneath.

"That was me."

"What?" Matt turned, looking at Jessica questioningly.

"I fell through that roof." Jessica went on.

"You fell this far?" Matt said in astonishment, "Jesus. That makes two of us." Matt added after a moment.

"What?" Jessica questioned, confused by his statement.

"I fell off a goddamn fire tower down here." Matt explained, continuing down the path.

"You're kidding me." Jessica whispered, limping behind him.

Walking out of the elevator, him and Jessica entered a narrow passageway leading further into the mines. No sooner after they take two more steps did another a shrill, bone-chilling screech echo through the mine. Matt froze, swallowing hard and Jessica whimpered. Then came a thunderous roar that echoed through the tunnels, rattling Matt to his core and shaking dust from above. The first noise wasn't a familiar sound, but that roar on the other hand…

"James…!?" Matt gasped, "Oh shit!"

Matt was beginning to go hysterical. They were trapped within the mines with a fucking psychopath, a monster, and now a werewolf on the loose!

"N-No." Jessica whimpered, limping up to him, "He's…its…"

"We need to go, now!" Mat urged.

Exiting the narrow passageway, the two found themselves in another part of the mines where minecart tracks led off into the dark. Noticing the faint glow of an overhanging light up ahead, they walked towards it, found another tunnel, and trudged onwards, all the while the sounds of roaring and screeching echoing from seemingly everywhere. Once again, Matt and Jessica heard the same blood-curdling screech as they turned the corner. Matt suddenly whirled around, startled as he saw something moving off in the gloom behind them.

"Fuck!" Jessica whimpered. Tears were beginning to stream down her cheeks as she stared in the general direction of what was behind them. Taking a few steps backwards, Matt began to run, then noticed a place to hide behind an exposed wooden wall. After taking a second to decide whether to run or hide, Matt motioned to the hiding spot.

"Come on, Jess!" He ushered her in first. Hesitating for only a moment, Jessica quickly complied and ducked into the cramped space with Matt right behind her.

Resting their backs against wooden planks, the two remained completely still as something scuttled along the tunnel just outside their hiding spot. They heard it move in quick, jerky movements, and Matt watched out of the corner of his eye something tall and thin that looked like a person leap towards a support beam down the hallway before bounding away. Then, Jessica began to slump forward, but Matt reacted in the nick of time and managed to catch the girl before she fell forward and gave their location away to…whatever was stalking them.

"It hurts." Jessica sobbed quietly, wincing at Matts touch.

Matt looked past her down the tunnel, breathing heavily "Jeez...Does this hurt?" He asked, using his arm to keep her on her feet.

"Oh god." Jessica whimpered, tensing beneath Matt's arm.

"Alright..." Matt panted, motioning Jessica from their hiding spot, "Alright, let's go. We gotta do this! Get out of here! Come on!" He held the lantern forward, moving down the path where that creature had disappeared down, "Come on. Come on. Come on." Matt repeated, picking up the pace and sprinting forward.

Turning to see if she was keeping up, Matt heard a ghostly hiss come from behind them. Looking past a limping Jessica, who was desperately trying to keep up, Matt saw a monster hop around the corner in the blink of an eye, twitching its head in their direction. It screeched, hopping forward and angling its haunches as they picked up the pace. Rounding the corner, Matt stopped. The path continued left, but another way to freedom was through a boarded-up wall with the bright glimmer of moonlight shining through.

"Shit!" Matt swore, looking back to see the creature leap onto the wall, and its pale, soulless eyes sent tremors along his spine.

Refusing to abandon Jessica, Matt plowed towards the old, rickety wall and shoulder-tackled it like he was on the football field. He busted through and gave them their escape, but barely managed to keep himself from running over the edge. Turned out their only means of escape was on a cliff and they had to shuffle along the close ledge. However, just as Jessica was approaching Matt, clawed hands snatched her by the neck and yanked her back.

"Jessica!" Matt yelled, helplessly watching as the thinned-limb monster held her by the throat. Jessica screamed at the familiar sight of the unholy creature. However, her screams were drowned out by the beast's ungodly scream as it wrapped bony claws around her jaw.

There came a snarling roar and a large paw covered in black fur seized the creature by the head and pulled back, breaking its hold on Jessica. Falling to the ground, she coughed and wheezed, trying to regain herself as her wounds screamed with fresh pain and her vision blurred. She managed to lift her head and her eyes bulged at the sight before her.

It was James…_werewolf _James. His large form took up half the tunnel as he struggled with the flailing monster that was now trapped in his jaws. His head thrashed about, and he flung it against the wall before pouncing and pinning the thing under his weight. His eyes burned bright within the faintly lit tunnel when the light of the moon touched his shaggy fur. All the while his captive screeched at him in defiance, biting and clawing at his arms to escape.

The werewolf reared back and dropped all his weight onto the wendigo, slamming it into the wall again with enough force to shake dirt from the ceiling. The wendigo cried out in fury and jerked a long arm up to slice deep gashes along his muzzle and jaw, and James released it with a snarl, pawing at his injured face. Immediately taking the opening, the wendigo pounced, catching James square in his chest and shoving him back towards the open ledge. The two monsters smashed apart the remnants of the flimsy wooden wall, barely missing Jessica and Matt on their way out. They tumbled over the edge, still locked in combat as they twisted through the air, snarling and snapping at one another, and descended into the treetops below.

Matt breathed shakily, unable to tear his eyes from where the two creatures had fallen. He knew they weren't dead because he heard the sounds of their war down below as the brawl started up again. The echoes of their fight and the snapping and shaking of tree branches continued to trail further and further away towards the lodge that loomed ominously in the distance against a snow swept sky.

_James_

He lost his prey on the way down. As the tops of pine trees rapidly grew closer, the werewolf had to release his prey and twist his body so that he would land on all fours. Pine needles slapped against him as he cleared the canopy, and more than one branch was broken as he fell, but James swung his lower body around to carry momentum and tensed the muscles in his four legs. When he hit the ground, he coiled like a spring to absorb the fall and relaxed as the snow from his impact rained around him.

The Makkapitew, on the other hand, fell screaming to the ground and landed spread-eagle in the snow facedown.

Just as she began to pick herself up, the half-ton werewolf pounced on her back and locked his jaws around her skinny neck. James bit down as hard as he could while the wendigo screamed and thrashed, but it was no use; her iron skin resisted the points of his teeth and the power of his jaws. Hannah then stopped struggling and planted her hands firmly in the snow and began to push with a strength that matched his own. The wendigo pushed against the werewolf holding her down and managed to brace herself with her knees long enough to reach around and stab her claws into the wolf's shoulder. James snarled at the agony, but he did not let go. Instead, he surged back up onto two legs as quickly as he could, taking Hannah with him, and grabbed her about the waist and lifted her into the air. Hannah's claws tore free and she flailed and thrashed as the werewolf lifted her over his head and threw with a roar. She smashed into the trunk of a tree and slumped to the ground, but only for a moment, for a wendigo feels no pain. Hannah rose with jerky motions onto her feet and faced down her enemy with a hiss. James roared right back and dropped onto all fours where he prowled low to the ground, his orange eyes locked on the Makkapitew as he circled her.

A low, hateful hiss left the Makkapitew's teeth before she spun and dropped into a crouch and sprang forward with a rattling scream. James exploded into motion and launched to meet her head on, and the two monsters met in a clash of snapping teeth, slashing claws, and cries of fury. Hannah dug her heels into the snow as James shoved her back while slashing at his chest, but James brought his paws down on her head to bring her low before wrapping his jaws around her skull, shook her furiously, and tossed her away. When Hannah landed, she sprung up into the safety of one of the trees, and James roared as she clambered away from him. Not to be denied, James rushed the tree and leapt to climb it, his claws scraping away at the bark as he propelled himself higher and higher, but he was too late. Hannah was far quicker than him and had begun leaping from tree to tree, her long limbs and skinny body perfect for navigating the evergreen canopy. By the time James climbed to where she'd been, Hannah was already gone, leaping from tree to tree and swinging from bough to bough like a gibbon. As James watched his prey escape him, he let out a booming growl before sliding back down the trunk, snapping branches on his descent, and slammed into the ground before taking off in a loping sprint, his paws kicking up snow as he hurried to catch up with his enemy that was quickly escaping.

_Sam_

Sam struggled to heave herself up and over the rugged stone. Her ascent had rubbed her hands raw and cold numbed her fingers to the bone. Grunting, she pulled herself up and over a ledge and rose to her feet panting heavily, winded from the climb.

Looking up, she saw the full moon's light piercing through the sky overhead. When she had met up with Mike and saw that James was not with him, she assumed the worst despite Mike's assurances that he had been alive the last time he'd seen him. But the wendigos were out there, and they needed to get down to the mines, so she had to focus and shut away the grief and pain and panic. James Steele had always seemed as solid and strong as his namesake, a shoulder and anchor she'd clung to when she needed one most. He'd let her in, just as she had with him, and that trust was something that Sam had always cherished between them him. The idea that he might be gone, swallowed up by this damn mountain had almost drowned her in despair. Then, she saw him down there standing next to Josh, and the relief nearly brought her to tears.

Josh…oh god, _Josh!_ Why!? Why had he done this!? She had been so damn _stupid_ thinking he was okay! She should have done something; pushed to get him more help! Maybe he wouldn't have brought them back here for a sick, _sick _prank if she'd paid more attention…

Now there was a chance she'd never see any of them again.

She tensed, bringing a hand to her mouth to hold back a small cry. Smashing her eyes together and focusing on the fact that she needed to _get __out__ of here,_ she lurched forward and started clambering up once more. She had to make it to the lodge. All she needed to do was climb!

Bracing herself, she jumped from one ledge and gripped onto the next one. Struggling, she managed to catch herself and get a sneaker in place to regain some footing in preparation for the final jump. She leaped, grabbed the overhanging ledge, and heaved herself up and over. Exhaustion began to set into her body, and the cold had her shaking, but she had to keep moving if she wanted to stay warm, stay _alive! _

There was no time to lose. Turning her headlamp on, she power-walked down the path she knew led to the lodge, desperate to keep moving and-

-Stopped upon hearing the blood chilling scream of a wendigo.

Picking up the pace she jogged further down the path. Taking a right at an incoming fork, she heard the screech again, this time much closer. She bolted. Her heart was pounding in her throat and her lungs ached from the cold air while the chilly night wind stung her face. Again, she heard the scream and continued to run.

Upon seeing an upcoming ledge, Sam came to a sudden stop. The drop was small, literally just her height, but continued onwards across a small creek she would have to wade through. Great! More freezing cold water! She couldn't take the time to go around. With no other choice, she jumped in and gasped, exclaiming out loud as the frigid waters burned her skin to the touch and completely numbed her body from the waist down. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she waded forward, wincing and clenching her teeth as the water came up to her chest, biting her to the bone. A sudden and very close screech made Sam freeze in place as a couple crows took flight.

She longed to be one of them; to have the choice to fly away from this nightmare.

Twisting her head in the direction of the screech, Sam's heart rate sped up even faster and she sloshed through the water to climb out of the creek and heard yet _another_ scream. Getting out, she continued down the snowy path through the forest while the wendigo's cries were closing in on her.

Stopping once more, she attempted to safely slide down a rocky slope but slipped and slid all the way down, landing on her side. A far-cry from her usual athletic self, but a smooth landing was the least of her worries right now. Her mind unwillingly wandered to James. She imagined what he'd say if he saw her do such a thing back at the farm. Probably grunt, raise an eyebrow, and say something like _"Nice landing, boss." _And then she'd say something much wittier in response, and he'd just grunt again and help her up.

God, she just wanted to go _home!_

Groaning, Sam gathered herself and got back up. The sight of a wooden fence greeted her, and beyond that, the shed where they kept Josh. She was close to the lodge!

Just when she began to get moving past the shed, the scream of the wendigo echoed behind her, closer than ever before. Sam turned on a dime and faced the direction of the noise as fear and panic wiped away the pain and cold. A rapid _pitter-patter _of something scuttling through the forest reached her ears, and Sam turned and sprinted down the path again. Breathing heavily, she stopped to look back, only just managing to face forward again and narrowly duck under a fallen log leaned up along the path.

"Shit!" Sam panted, stopping only to figure out which way to go next. Hooking a left, she continued running and paused at yet another ledge long enough to ensure it was a safe way down. Landing on her feet and continuing her mad dash down the path, Sam looked back to see if the wendigo was gaining on her and, once again, just managed to turn back and jump a stray propane canister along the path.

However, she finally made it.

Seeing the welcoming sight of the lodge's back entrance, she slammed into it and frantically tugged on the handle to allow herself entry.

"Hey! HEY! Come on, open up! Come on, guys are you in there!?" She shouted and banged her fists on the glass, "Let me in!"

"Sam-"

"Ah!" Sam jumped at the voice and spun around, "Shit. Mike!" She gasped. Mike was standing directly behind her, head lolling to one side as he panted for breath. And standing behind him in a similar state was-

"Josh!" Sam cried and moved over to where he stood shivering in place. He was soaked from head to foot, and when she touched his arm, he was ice cold to the touch.

He looked at her through hazy eyes, "H-hey, Sam." He gasped with a watery smile.

They both looked like hell warmed over.

"Oh, gosh." She stepped back and ran her eyes over the two, "You look terrible!"

"Gonna look worse if we stay out here." Mike said softly. He turned and gestured for Josh to come forward, "Come on." He urged gently. Sam looked around for a second before spying a stone lying in the snow and snatched it up. She smashed through the windowpane above the door handle and reached through to unlock and tug it open.

"Okay…" Sam muttered to herself as the three stepped inside and Mike shut the door behind them.

That was when Sam realized something, "Mike?" She began hesitantly "What happened to James?"

Mike looked at her for a moment before looking and shaking his head, " Last I saw him, he was fighting the wendigo." Mike sighed.

"What?" Sam gasped.

"He must have been close to turning, but he was still human enough to talk. He told us to run. It would have gotten Josh." He said, nodding towards the man in question. Sam let out a whimper, and Mike placed a hand on her arm, "Hey, listen! Sam, listen to me!" He told her, "James is tough! The wendigo doesn't stand a-"

"Hannah!"

Both Sam and Mike turned towards Josh, who had been a silent statue, staring off into space with his back turned. Slowly, he faced them with a twisted expression of anger and sorrow and spat, "That thing is _Hannah__!_"

Sam stepped forward "Josh-"

"I saw her tattoo!" He moaned, pointing weakly at his right arm where Hannah had gotten her first tattoo, "I saw! And she...she tried to _kill us!"_

"That isn't Hannah anymore, Josh!" Mike said in a firm voice.

"I know that!" Josh shouted and clutched at his head, "I know that…" He trailed off and began to laugh, hollow and sorrowful in a way that tore at Sam's heart, "That isn't Hannah anymore..._that's_ what killed them!" Josh chuckled and swiped tears away from his eyes, "James told me I shouldn't blame myself for their deaths…that I should blame what took them away." He gave a raspy sob, "So I blamed you guys! And look where that got us!" He drew in another breath before sobbing, "But now I know! Now I know what killed them! This FUCKING MOUNTAIN!" He snarled and slammed a fist against a wooden beam.

Sam and Josh flinched at the display, and Josh's shoulders heaved as he began to cry and pressed his forehead against the wood.

Despite everything that happened tonight, Sam still felt that old sense of responsibility and sympathy. Slowly, carefully, she walked forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked at her, she said as gently as she could, "Josh? We need to focus on getting out of here."

Josh stared at her blankly before he swallowed and nodded.

Mike walked over to them, "We should check the basement; might be someone left down there." He said. Sam nodded, and after sparing a quick look at Josh, she pulled him along to follow Mike downstairs.

"How do you rate our chances of survival?" Sam asked after a moment as they passed through the TV room.

"I'm trying not to think about it." Mike sighed.

"GO! RUN!"

"GET OUTTA HERE! GO, GO, GO!"

Chris came sprinting out of the door leading to the basement and behind him came Emily and Ashley.

"RUN!" Mike shouted and grabbed Josh by the arm to drag him away.

Sam stayed put long enough to witness the spidery shapes of three wendigos hopping towards the doorway before she turned tail and booked it up the stairs. When she got to the first-floor landing, she expected everyone to be hauling ass out the door, but instead found everyone standing stock still with eyes trained on the ceiling. Sam stopped, following their gaze, and her heart stopped in her chest because clinging to the decorative chandelier above the living room like a demonic monkey…was Hannah.

"Don't...move..." Mike's voice warned them all, "Don't fucking move a muscle."

Sam stared up at the vision of death hanging above her; fear and hopelessness gripping her heart as she heard the other wendigos climbing up the stairs.

_James_

He was closing in; the scent wasn't far off. It had avoided him this long, his quarry. It was quicker and knew the area, but now the hunt was coming to an end. He padded across the snow with great, loping strides with the sting of his wounds fading as he ran. Something loomed up ahead, a human structure. He usually avoided those, but the prey had led him here. The Cold One was in there, he was sure of it. He scented the air again, trying to pinpoint what route it had taken, and stilled when the scent of human blood reached his nostrils…

He knew the scent of whose blood that was.

The memories came, and it was then he knew that _**they**_ were in there! The ones the Cold Ones hungered for!

One in particular stood out to him within these memories, blonde hair, green eyes, soft skin-

_**She**_ was in there…

Then came the rage, and_ Packfriendsher__**protect!**_surged through him.

_Kill them! _

_Kill the Cold Ones! _

_**KILL THEM ALL!**_

He growled and sprinted forward at full speed, eyes already spotting the easiest way to enter the structure. He knew for a fact he was too big to fit through any smaller entrances, so he'd just have to make one.

Powerful muscles bunched and coiled, and the werewolf launched himself at the lodge with a snarl.

_Sam_

The sound of glass shattering echoed through the lodge as the largest window in the living room exploded inward. Glass shards sailed through the air as a huge black shape barreled over the couches and crushed the coffee table to splinters before coming to a stop with claws scraping the floor. Time seemed to slow for Sam as she watched it rise up onto strong hind legs, its massive frame blotting out the moonlight shining through the destroyed window. Coarse, black fur glittered with melting snowflakes and bits of glass that fell to the floor with each rumbling breath. Dark claws and white fangs glinted in the low light, and familiar wolfen eyes flickered like roaring flames in the gloom.

A rush of relief, reassurance, and what might have even been joy, coursed through her at the sight.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" She heard what sounded like Chris whisper.

"Oh my god!" Ashley's voice gasped.

A shrill screech brought Sam back to earth as the other three wendigos crawled upstairs to investigate the noise and hissed upon coming face to face with the werewolf. The glow in James eyes intensified upon seeing the slender monsters and his lips peeled back as he began to growl. The wendigos responded with hisses and screeches of their own as they fanned out around the stairwell, sizing up the newcomer.

Hannah, having watched the entire thing from her perch, leapt from the chandelier, the second floor railing, and down to the floor with blinding speed. She landed directly in front of Mike and the young man tried his hardest not to flinch as she rose to her full height. The Makkapitew was nearly as tall as the werewolf and just as intimidating. She screamed with fury, prompting the other wendigos to do the same as they rallied around her to face the werewolf.

James threw back his shoulders and thrust out his chest with a roar that showed all his fangs before dropping onto all fours and charged like a bull.

The three wendigos reacted to the sudden movement and launched themselves at the massive werewolf, but James plowed through them like a runaway train. He swatted one away while the other two bounced off his shoulders without slowing him down as he charged straight at Hannah.

Mike barely managed to leap out of the way of a section of couch the werewolf sent flying before slamming into the Makkapitew and bulldozed her straight into the staircase, destroying it under their combined weight. Hannah quickly rose from the splinters and struck James in the side of his head, stunning him, and pressed forward with wild swings that pushed him back with each hit. Shaking his muzzle after another blow, James snarled and lunged, but Hannah darted around him and clambered onto his back. James bucked wildly, trying to throw her off, but the other wendigos had regained their bearings and jumped atop him as well, biting and slashing.

The humans scattered as James roared and blindly ran through the collapsed staircase and toppled over the railing to the basement landing. Hannah and two of the wendigos leapt off him before he fell, but one was squashed beneath his bulk. Before it could so much as move, James pounced upon it, wrapped massive jaws around its skull, and gave a harsh twist. There was a loud CRACK as the wendigo's neck was broken, and James twisted further to tear the head clean off and fling it across the lodge.

The decapitated wendigo head bounced off a wall and rolled to a stop at Hannah's feet. The Makkapitew looked up from the head and bared pointed fangs at the werewolf as he jumped back to the first floor. The other two wendigos gathered in the living room around Hannah again to face James as he prowled towards them, panting hard. Fresh blood dripped from his wounds onto the floor and matted his fur, but he was still up for a fight. He stepped forward and snapped his jaws, blood and foam flying from his teeth.

"KICK HER ASS, JAMES!" Came Mike's wild shout.

The others looked at her before coming to the same realization that the werewolf was on their side.

"KILL THEM!" Emily hollered.

"COME ON, JAMES!" Ashley cheered.

"YEAH, COME ON JAMES!" Parroted Chris.

"Come on!" Sam hissed.

It was stupid to bring attention to themselves, but it felt GOOD to not be afraid! Soon, the whole cabin shook with the cheers of the six survivors and the sound of human voices and movement split all the wendigo's attention in different directions; something the werewolf took advantage of.

He dashed at the Cold Ones, who barely dodged the incoming werewolf and scattered around the living room before re-engaging their quarry. James manage to smack one into the wall before the other darted in and slashed him with its claws. James roared and lunged to catch it, but the wendigos were too fast. Hannah attacked him from behind and cut at his other leg. He howled and spun to hit her, but she had already moved, darting up the walls and to the safety of the second floor.

As the fight raged on, Chris realized now was the time to escape while James had the wendigos distracted.

"Guys, come on!" He called to the others, "Come on, let's go!" And bolted for the back door.

Emily and Ashley immediately followed his lead and sprinted after him.

Mike grabbed Josh by the sleeve and tugged him along, "Run!" He shouted to Sam.

Sam lingered long enough to watch James grab Hannah by the arm and fling her into the TV before he was bowled over by the other two before she made for the back door as well. Just as her foot touched the threshold, a hacking bark of pain made her stop and look back.

James was limping away from the wendigos and leaving a trail of blood from the deep gouges covering his body. His front and back legs were badly carved up and blood caked his muzzle. The wendigos were closing in. James snarled and snapped blood-flecked jaws, and one of the wendigos jumped at him. James seized it in his teeth and flung it away, but then Hannah and the other wendigo tackled him against the wall. James lashed out with a paw that sent the one wendigo flying into a pillar, but the move left him open.

Hannah surged forward and slashed bloody claws across his open throat.

"NO!" Sam wailed as the werewolf dropped to the floor in a pool of red.

The Makkapitew screeched in triumph.

Sam was running back inside before she knew what she was doing and stopped just outside the living room.

"HEY!" She called and cupped her hands over her mouth to yell, "HANNAH!"

Pale eyes swung in her direction and a rattling scream shook her to the core before the Makkapitew lunged.

Behind her, orange eyes opened weakly and watched as the Cold One drew closer and closer towards precious blonde hair and green eyes. The sight of them in danger triggered and awakened something. Memories of who she was flew through the wolf's mind, and its eyes widened as a wall between souls came crashing down.

As the darkness closed in, a voice not its own screamed in the back of its mind.

_**"SAM!"**_

And in that moment, time stood still.

_James_

James came to with a gasp and a cry.

He doubled forward with his head in his hands, gasping for breath and shaking like a leaf. His vision swam and he slammed his eyes shut, trying to calm the slew of emotions ranging from animalistic rage to heart-stopping fear inside him. He remembered the Change coming over him in the mines, but then suddenly he was staring out of a pair of eyes not his own and saw _her. _He saw the Makkapitew clutching Sam by the face and rearing back a hand to skewer her, felt the pain of slashes, bites, and cuts covering his body, the feeling of his own blood pouring down his slit throat while his life faded to black, and then everything had gone dark.

Fidgeting slightly, James froze hearing the creak of worn leather beneath him, followed by the realization that he was…sitting down? He opened his eyes and to his utter confusion found that he was sitting in an old leather chair, and when he looked around, his train of thought screeched to a halt and his heart felt like it wanted to crawl out his throat. He wasn't in the lodge anymore. He wasn't _anywhere. _All he saw was blackness, pure and utter blackness in every direction stretching out as far as he could see. Up, down, left, right; all was black as pitch save for himself and the chair.

Suddenly, there was a sound like lightning striking and James' ears rang while his vision went white. A voice cried out then, full of hate and loathing that echoed all around him.

"You have ruined EVERYTHING!"

When his vision returned, he wasn't alone anymore.

A solid oak desk was now before him, empty until pale hands slapped down upon it with a smack. A man loomed out of the darkness and over the desk, late fifties if James had to guess, wearing a white pinstripe button-up shirt, grey vest, and a blue tie with black stripes. A gold watch and large ring adorned his left hand that was slowly clenching into a fist. Thinning grey hair, a long face, and green eyes that burned into James' own. The suddenness of his appearance made James want to jump in his chair, but he suddenly could not move; paralyzed by some unseen force that locked his body in place as the man ranted and screamed.

"Do you have any idea how much work I put into him! Hm? Do you!?" The man hissed with an accent James couldn't identify. The rage suddenly slid away, replaced by a cool anger, "Of course, you don't. What would you know of drive? Of dedication? Of long-term planning and self-discipline, something of which you sorely lack in."

The atmosphere grew heavy and the darkness seemed to close in around him, and there was a buzzing in the back of his skull. Something was wrong. Those cold, green eyes suddenly seemed like they could see every little thought and detail inside him. James was suddenly afraid of this man, an irrational fear born of the unknown. He stared into those green eyes, so different from Sam's. Hers were a vibrant green of spring and life. The one's across from him were pale and cold like painted glass or winter seawater. The stranger leaned forward with neat white teeth bared in the mockery of a grin, and James leaned back in his chair.

"We haven't officially met, you and I. Young Joshua failed to mention you before he went off to play his little game. Joshua is usually very open when it comes to the people in his life. Interpersonal relationships are important, after all! The ties we make with others can shape the outcome of our lives and even change the way we view ourselves."

This man…ghost…demon? Whatever he was, sat on the edge of his desk and continued in a lecturing voice that rose and fell with every sentence, "But the one thing we do not often consider is just how we affect the lives of who we tie ourselves to! Now, I know Joshua _very_ well, as well as all his little friends! Through him, I have learned their strengths, weaknesses, fears…" He paused to suck the air through his teeth like he was tasting it, "And such fears!" James could only watch in silent fear and confusion as the man began to walk around to the front of his desk where he sat frozen in place, "Do you know that Mike, for all his bravado, has a fear of isolation? Or that Matt, at heart, is a coward? Jessica, despite her confidence and personality, is truly an insecure child on the inside! Ashley is afraid of the dark! Chris and Emily are both afraid of failure! Samantha has a fear of the supernatural! Joshua…well, he's afraid of just about everything. I've discovered all of their fears and how they view themselves…all of them except _you._" The man came to a stop in front of James and leaned back against his desk, his eyes boring into him with an incredible intensity.

"Who are you?" James heard himself ask, "How do you know the others? What…what the hell are you?"

The man's brow and lips pursed together in an odd expression before his face changed into a tight smile, "We don't need to worry about that…" He began lowly, "What we need to worry about…is you. Let's see…" He muttered as he leaned in forward.

James could only sit unable to move as the man rested his hands on either sides of his chair and leaned forward to study him, "Get away from me!" James hissed and struggled against his invisible restraints because suddenly the buzzing was back, a faint tingle in the back of his mind. It felt like fingers were digging into his brain and pulling out memories and feelings long-since buried.

"Hmm, interesting!" The man hummed, a thin smile curling his lips, "Well, well, well, it seems Joshua isn't the only one who has some real issues! Teenage angst is so predictable, but survivor's guilt…" James froze, and the man began to chuckle, "And deep rooted, too! Such a young age for it to develop. How does it make you feel knowing you caused your parents deaths?"

"Shut up!" James snarled.

"Just a child, screaming in the backseat for his parent's attention. Distracted drivers are drivers at risk! And rain slick roads are even worse." The man made a tut-tutting sound and wagged a finger in James' face, "All you needed to do was keep quiet, and they never would have taken their eyes off the road" The man exhaled a breath and sneered, "Oh, but there's more, isn't there! Such self-loathing! Such _fear! _What is it, hmm?"

James growled and thrashed in his chair as those buzzing, invisible fingers dug deeper into his mind and pulled out more and more.

"Things haven't been going very well for you, have they? Watching all your friends die must have been very difficult for you? To know that there must have been something you could have done! You, who are so self-sacrificing that you would gladly throw yourself into the jaws of death for a friend! How noble of you…but you aren't noble, are you?"

"STOP IT!" James howled. His eyes were shut trying to fight the violation of his mind and memories as the _thing _in front of him continued to dig deeper, and deeper, and _deeper._

"No, no, no, you _are_ a monster, aren't you! You knew something was happening to you! Why else could you have survived such wounds, hm? You killed the only family you had left! And what did you do? What did you do in the face of such horror? You ran! But we cannot run from what is inside us, no one can! The only people who can choose to run are those who see what we truly are! And now? The ones who saw just what you are and did not run? They are going to die because of you!You failed, James."

The use of his name made James flinch and look up into the eyes of the man before him, who looked down with a kindly, sympathetic smile, "You failed them all, and just like those other friends you had, they will die as well."

"Why are you doing this?" James croaked after a long moment.

The rage came back to the man's face and he reared back with a hiss, "Why? Because I want revenge for what you stole from me! Everything was as I had foreseen! You cannot change the past, but you can influence the future! Do you know how much time is now wasted because of you? All that conditioning and manipulation wasted! Well…it isn't all bad, I suppose." He stared down at James and reached out a hand towards him, "I may have lost Joshua, but you…oh, the things I could do with you-"

James reacted on instinct as the hand drew closer and lashed out the only way he could. His teeth clamped down hard and the man's cry filled the darkness.

"Ahh! Du jävla vargen!" He yowled as he stumbled back against his desk, clutching his right pinkie and ring finger. Blood seeped between his grip from the torn skin, and he yelled and cursed in another language, "Jag kommer at ångra det!"

James, however, suddenly found himself transfixed by the man's complexion. In the blink of an eye, he resembled a zombie more than anything. His skin had turned a sickly gray green, his cheeks and eye sockets were sunken and hollow, rotting lesions and open wounds covered his face, and smatters of dried blood stained his collar and skin. His eyes were now cloudy and dark grey like murky pools of water, and they swiveled back to James with rage glinting in their depths.

He took a moment to suck in air through his teeth and forced himself to calm down to affix one of those toothy sneers on his face, "Vem är rädd för den stora dåliga vargen?" He asked and brought his injured fingers up to suck the blood clean off them, "Inte jag!"

All of a sudden, bright blue light filled the darkness, spilling from over the man's shoulder.

"Vad?" The zombie hissed and spun around, as a cloud of luminescent, fluttering shapes poured out of the dark and surrounded him in a cloud. Butterflies; hundreds of glowing blue butterflies. They swirled about the zombie like a tornado and he whirled about swatting at them, his dark eyes wide, and noises of aggression and confusion spilling from his lips. James watched, utterly stunned, as the swarm suddenly flew off, swirling tighter and tighter, forming into a female silhouette…

There was a brief flash of light, and then Beth was there, a snarl plastered on her soft features, "Hello, Doctor Hill!" She spat with pure venom.

James, now thoroughly stunned, looked back to the aforementioned 'Hill'. In contrast to Beth's rage, Doctor Hill looked like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It didn't last long.

"Miss Washington." He greeted amicably, "So nice of you to join us!"

"Let him go, Hill!" Beth snarled. Her shoulders were hunched, and her fingers were curled like a cat that was about to pounce.

"Oh, I hope you're not trying to interrupt our session, Miss Washington." Doctor Hill admonished.

"I'm not gonna let you do to him what you did to Josh!" Beth spat.

Hill's smile turned into another ragged sneer, "Oh but I will, you stupid girl! I may have lost your brother, but a potential wendigo is nothing compared to a Varulv!After all, who is going to stop me? You? Your master?" He let out a dry chuckle, "None of you can. The Great Spirit is stuck trying to contain the darkness within his own lands. He wouldn't dare risk challenging me."

"You fucked up, Hill!" The ghost replied with a savage grin of her own, "You fucked up big time! Because that guy right there?" She pointed to James, "That's Madahee's champion!"

Hill's head snapped to stare at James, eyes now wide with shock. A moment later, he let out a furious hiss and spun back to Beth, "And do you think that matters! Little ghost, _no one _can stop me!"

Beth's sneer was the cat that got every canary in the cage, "Are you sure about that?" Was all she said.

Then came the rumbling.

Hill's dark eyes bulged as the ground shook beneath them. A winter wind picked up from nowhere, carrying dead leaves and snowflakes, and James stared off in the distance as something _huge _rose from the dark. Its body was made of rocks, dirt, stones, snow, and ice, and was shaped like a man except for the head; a human skull with pointed teeth and forked antlers, and eyes that glowed a bright blue. The giant rose up, as tall and big as the pine trees that covered Blackwood Mountain, and let out a roar that shook the air and sounded like hundreds of animals; wolves, elk, bears, birds, all mixed in to create one loud battle cry. Then it began walking towards them, each step shaking the nonexistent ground.

Hill let out a raspy snarl and looked back and forth from Beth, to the approaching giant, and then to James, "Fine! Have it your way! If I can't have him, _nobody can! _I'll just hold his spirit here long enough for his body to die!_"_

"That's enough out of you." Came a new voice from behind James, and someone stepped out from behind his chair to stand between him and Hill. James caught the look of surprise and confusion that played across Hill's face just as an old scent of familiar tobacco tickled his nose, and he stared at the back of the worn denim jacket before him.

"Uncle Bert?" He whispered.

After a brief stare down with Hill, the face of his uncle turned to look back at him with a gentle smile on weathered features.

"Hey, kiddo."

The gravelly voice sent chills down James spine and brought tears to his eyes. So many thoughts and emotions began twisting and turning in his head and heart so violently that he thought he was going to either vomit or cry. His uncle's hand, scarred and worn from years of hard labor, was suddenly offered to him. Whatever spell the werewolf had been under was suddenly broken, and he found he could move again. His own hand shaking with nerves, James reached out to take it. The familiar warm and calloused palm sent fresh pangs of grief through James heart as Bert pulled him up from the chair and onto his feet

"There you go." Bert said and rested a hand on his shoulder. He then glanced over at the silent Hill, his smile fading as he grunted, "Leave my nephew alone."

Doctor Hill's dark eyes flashed with menace, "Do you think this changes _anything_?" He spat.

"I don't know, Hill, I think this changes a lot!" Beth piped up.

Off in the distance, the approaching giant let out another roar, and Hill spun to hiss at it like a cat.

Beth took a step towards him, "You have _no _idea how long I've wanted to do this!" She snarled before sparing a brief look at Bert and said, "Get him out of here. We'll hold him off."

Bert nodded at the ghost girl and his grip tightened on James' shoulder, "Come on. Let's get out of here." And he began to pull him away from the chair, the Doctor, and his desk.

"Nej! Du kommer inte att förneka mig min slav!" Hill roared and made to move towards them, but his words were drowned out by Beth. She threw herself at him with nails outstretched, her body bursting into a swarm of blue butterflies that reformed midair into a wolverine. Her yell of fury merged into angry yowls as she slammed into his chest and began biting and clawing at his face. Hill yelled in either pain or anger and struggled to pull her off him. Steady as an incoming avalanche, the giant approached with blue eyes fixed down on Hill. Up close, James saw that its sockets were filled with swarms of more blue butterflies. With a groaning sound, it raised a massive foot that ended in a cluster of pine roots and jagged stone and crushed the desk into splinters.

James watched all this happen as he was pulled away, but suddenly, his uncle spun him around to face a plain, wooden door standing in the middle of the dark. With a single tug, Bert pulled it open and brought them through.

James blinked as warm sunlight shone across his face and he found himself being walked by Bert onto an old dirt trail. Tall sugar maples lined the path with their leaves a variety of autumn colors, twisting and fluttering in a cool breeze blowing through their branches. Rounding a slight bend in the trail, James and Bert found themselves approaching the backyard of a small two-story house. James stopped in his tracks to regard it with a hazy stare because he _knew _this place! Saw it in his dreams and nightmares! Struggled to recall the smallest of details that time and distance stole from him! He closed his eyes for a long time before opening them and pressing on while slowly taking in his surroundings with bittersweet reminiscence.

Stopping at the bottom of the back-porch steps, James stared up at his old home.

Bert stepped onto the porch and turned to James, "Well, you just gonna stand there, son?" Bert motioned his head inside the house through the old screen door, "C'mon in."

Without a word, James followed.

The moment he set foot inside, his heart began to ache in his chest. Everything was just as he remembered it. The coffee table in the living room's center covered in ring stains from spilled mugs, the old box TV Bert refused to replace atop a simple wooden cabinet, the battered leather sofa and the marble island countertop not far behind it, and to the left of the coffee table sat Bert's dusty recliner. James last memories of this place was one of destruction and death; the striped wallpaper torn to pieces by claws and chunks ripped out of the walls, blood staining the ceiling and floor, the furniture smashed to pieces, and the countertop broken in half. Now? Everything looked as if none of that had ever happened. He wondered if he went upstairs, his room would look just the way he'd left it.

Bert walked straight into the living room and sat down in his recliner, the age-old springs creaking beneath his weight as he leaned back with a sigh. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his wooden pipe and a small plastic baggy of tobacco. When he opened it, the heavy smell of pipe snuff met James' nose and sent a wave of raw emotion through him as he watched his uncle go through the familiar motions of lighting his pipe. Bert packed the tobacco in, put the baggy back in his pocket, and pulled out a pack of matches. The hiss of the match filled the silence as Bert lit his pipe and took several slow puffs. Shaking the match out, he looked at James and smiled around his pipe.

"You got bigger, kiddo." He said softly.

A weak chuckle escaped James throat, but it felt harsh and raw. Swallowing hard, he licked his dry lips and blinked back more tears, just staring at the man who'd raised him; the man that _he _had murdered.

A single tear rolled down James' cheek, "I…" He choked out.

Bert's smile slackened, and in a single movement, he was up and striding towards James to wrap him in a hug that was warm and strong. James sobbed and gripped back with everything he had as broken apologies escaped his lips. The words just poured out of him in a wave of grief, shame, and desperate regret as tears welled in his eyes, "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for…for what I…I didn't mean it! I didn't want to!" James croaked, stifling a sob and sniffling, "I-I _killed _you and I'm so-"

"No, James, no!" His uncle gently admonished him, "You didn't do anything, you hear? You didn't hurt me."

"I-! You-!"

Bert pulled back to look his nephew in the eye, "_You_ didn't do anything. Sit down." He said and sat James down on the couch with a firm hand on his shoulder, "We have a lot to talk about and not enough time."

A sudden thought hit James and a cold realization rocked him to the core.

"Am I…am I dead?" He muttered aloud.

Bert frowned and shrugged a shoulder, "Bout halfway there, kiddo. You're knocking on death's door. It was why I'm able to do this in the first place. Why that," He grunted and made a face, "'Guy' out there was able to get a hold of you."

"Who was that?" James asked him, "Do you know him? What was he?"

Bert leaned back and pufffed his pipe, "Got no idea." He said as he smoked, "I'm as new to this as you are."

James frowned himself, "New to what?"

The screen door suddenly swung inward and a new voice filled the air, "Being a spirit guide."

James turned in surprise as Beth Washington strode into the living room like she owned the place. Bert perked up at her arrival and smiled happily.

"Miss Washington." He greeted with a dip of his head.

"Hello mister Steele." Beth said cheerily as she sauntered past a stunned James, plopped down on the couch next to Bert, and made herself comfortable.

"I'm guessing our friend back there isn't gonna be a problem?" Bert asked her.

Beth's smile was cold, vicious, and satisfied, "Nope." She said, popping the 'p'.

"…Beth?" James asked hesitantly. The dead girl leaned forward to look at him, and he asked, "Who…who was that?"

Beth's expression darkened and she stared off int the distance, "Doctor Alan J. Hill. Josh's current therapist." She said with a tone of barely hidden anger.

James' expression of shock and confusion turned to his uncle for answers. Bert rubbed his shoulder comfortingly and shrugged, saying, "Don't look at me. I'm only here for one thing, and he sure as hell wasn't supposed to be a part of it."

"I don't know what he is." Beth sighed, "Madahee doesn't either. What we do know is that he's after Josh."

"_Josh?_ Why?" James asked quietly.

"I don't know." Beth continued and stared at a spot on the wall, "After I…died, Josh started seeing him. I still visit him, you know? Pop in every now and then to see what my big brother's doing…he just can't see me. One day, I popped in on him while he was in the middle of one of his…'sessions' with Hill. Hill, he's…he's abusive! The things he says and does when Josh is in his office? It…it's not right, James! Josh has been in and out of therapy all his life! No one would even believe him if he said anything! Certainly not our parents! That's beside the point…look, here's the thing. Josh can't see me, but Hill can. After the first few times I was in there, he did something to keep me out. Maybe magic? I don't know. When Josh came here, even though he was miles away from him, Hill could still mess with his head. Madahee couldn't do anything because he's too busy holding back the wendigos to stop him. Hill's like a parasite; he just kept slipping into Josh's mind and driving him crazy. He's planning something, I know it! And it involves my brother!" Beth exhaled a harsh breath before she turned and looked at James with a wry grin, "He didn't plan for you though."

"What did he want with me?" James was almost afraid to ask.

Beth shook her head, "I don't know that either. The fact that he even showed up…I didn't even think he was capable of doing that to another person, but he messed up." Her grimace changed into a smile, "Directly messing with you now that Madahee's claimed you is a big no-no. I was able to help defend you. Hill forgot the rules; you don't harm what belongs to the mountain lest ill fortune befall you."

"Did you kill him?"

Beth scoffed, "I wish. That wasn't him-the _real _him. It was like a ghost, a projection. Madahee and I scared him off, but Madahee used the last of his strength to save you and bring your uncle here. After tonight, the wendigos will be able to leave the mountain, and nothing will stop them."

"Beth…" James paused, looking back and forth between her and his uncle, "I have _so _many questions-"

"I'm not the one you should be asking." Beth sighed and leaned forward, "Madahee brought your uncle for a reason. I don't know what it is, but it's important. Look…I can't stay here long. This place we're in is…we're like, in your head, like a spiritual limbo. You're going to die, James, unless you combine your spirit with the wolf."

"It's a place we can talk." Bert piped up, "I need to tell you what you need to hear."

"But-" James stopped when he saw that Beth's body was beginning to fade away like mist in the dawn.

Beth looked down at herself, cursed, and looked back to him, "Damn it! I don't have time…look, whatever happens, I-I _know_ I keep asking a lot, but…please…_please_ look after Josh! He put you all through hell tonight, I know, but…he doesn't know what he's doing James! It's not his fault! Warn the others about Hill. I don't know what he has planned, but it isn't good! Tell Josh what happened to us wasn't his fault! Tell him…tell him I love him?"

James could only nod as the girl faded away. The last thing he saw of Beth was her shaky smile before she vanished into thin air.

Bert lowered his pipe from his mouth as a small smile etched across his features, "It's okay, kiddo." He said to James.

"Is it?" James asked desperately, "Is _anything _okay?"

Bert's grip tightened on his shoulder, "No." he said honestly, "Things aren't okay, but they'll get better. You got the strength to see that through."

"I'm not strong…I'm weak."

"Stop that, now." Bert said in a firm voice, "I've been watching you, kiddo. I've seen everything you've done and been through, and I know I sure as hell wouldn't have the determination to keep going like you do. Listen to me and listen to me good! You have got to stop feeling responsible for things that aren't your fault. Your parents? That was _not_ your fault! You were just a kid, James! I don't think I ever told you that, but I am now; you were just a child! Your mom and dad wouldn't have blamed you, and I know that for a damn fact! And your friends that died? They were good souls, all of them, and I know for a fact they would have wanted you to survive!" Bert looked at him with grief and sadness on his face as he cupped the side of James' head, "I've raised you since you were a kid, and I know for a fact you're the strongest damn person I know."

James shook his head feverishly, "If I were strong enough, I…I wouldn't have…the Animal, it-"

"Oh, James…" Bert said sadly, "That wasn't you. You were trying to protect me. For the longest time kiddo, you've had it all wrong."

James stared at his uncle in confusion but froze when a low growl echo behind him.

His head snapped towards the shadowy hall that led to the upstairs and found his eyes locked with a pair of blazing orange orbs. A lupine shape was barely visible within the dark, and James stood with a gasp as it stepped into the light. It was a wolf, a huge wolf the size of a man with jet black fur and long fangs. The animal was terrifying to behold but it looked oddly…weak. Sickly, even. Its breath came out in ragged pants, James could see its ribs, its fur was matted in clumps, and the skin around its neck was rubbed raw in a ring of burnt and red skin.

The wolf and James stared at each other in silence.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened because it wasn't even your fault." Bert came up and laid a hand on his shoulder, "That right there? That's a piece of you that you've pushed away into the dark and punished. It's a part of you, kid; don't cut your nose to spite you face, I ever tell you that saying?"

"Everything that happened to me…is because of _that!" _James spat with venom in his voice and pointed to the wolf. The animal's ears went flat against its head and it pulled its teeth back in a snarl in a mirror of James' expression. James flinched and stepped back, and the wolf returned to its eerie silence.

"Now that right there is exactly what I'm talking about." His uncle beside him said, "James, this was exactly why I was brought here. In this moment, your so close to death, son, and I don't want you to die! Giving up is easy. It's the living that's hard. You know I'd never lie to you, right?"

James shook his eyes, still not taking his eyes off the wolf, not trusting it for a second.

"Well, listen good; you didn't kill me James. Someone else did."

And everything _stopped._

"What?" He whispered.

His heart was suddenly hammering in his chest, gooseflesh prickled painfully over his skin, his eyes watered, and his lungs felt suddenly empty as his mind flashed back to that horrible night. He couldn't look away from the wolf. Its eyes were wide and wild as it panted heavy breaths, once more a mirror to himself. Abruptly, it threw back its head and let out a loud howl-

_**James wasn't looking at his uncle's destroyed living room anymore, no, he was on his knees in his room upstairs moaning in agony as the Change first overtook him, but this time there was no crushing blackness of another mind.**_

_**He saw everything that happened afterward.**_

_**Uncle Bert called his name in worry from downstairs, then there was a crashing sound followed by a roar, and the next thing he knew, Bert was screaming in fear and pain. James followed the familiar sound and loped out of his room, bounded down the flight of stairs and landed at the bottom in time to see another werewolf drop his uncle's bloody body to the floor. **_

_**The brown werewolf let out a howl, and James saw red. He rushed the other and blindsided it, tackling it into the wall and tore into it with tooth and claw. **_

_**From there, it was a bloody haze of rage and pain as he battled the other werewolf. The fight seemed to last the whole night until James got the upper hand when his opponent stumbled to the floor. He pounced, seized his opponent by the throat with his teeth, and shook until the other wolf moved no more. **_

_**When all the life faded from the beast's eyes, the corpse slowly shifted back into that of a naked man with familiar face and a bald head. James inhaled the scent of the corpse and was struck by an image of the man standing behind him in a store, staring at him with bloodlust in his eyes and the scent of death around him.**_

_**Hatred coursed through his limbs and he picked up the corpse and flung it through a window and into the night with a howl of devastation.**_

_**The man's scent was traced back even further through human memories until James found himself on his back with burning orange eyes glaring down at him. **_

_**Sharp fangs flashed through a rainy night and pierced his flesh while an autumn moon shone above…**_

James gasped and was on his knees in his uncle's arms again, his heart thundering in his chest as he stared at the wolf in the hall.

"You fought your hardest that night in order to avenge me, James. _You_ did that. Look at that wolf. Look him right in the eyes! He's a part of you. Without him, you would've been dead."

A sob ripped from James throat and he gripped Bert's jacket to tighten their embrace. His uncle returned it and said into James' ear, "And now your friends need that wolf, too."

"The wendigos…" James growled through the tears. A low snarl came from the wolf that was still standing at the threshold of the living room.

"You know the truth now. You've got to forgive yourself! Make peace with what you are, accept it! If you don't…you'll die."

Bert's words suddenly seemed fainter and fainter. Somehow, someway, James knew what was happening; his uncle was going to fade away like Beth did and leave him again.

"Please don't go!" James pleaded.

"I never left you, kiddo, and I never will. Forgive yourself, James. Dying's easy, it's living that's hard…" Bert's words echoed through the room, in James' ears and heart, before fading away, and the werewolf found himself alone on the floor holding no one.

No…he wasn't alone.

Slowly, James turned his head and found the wolf…_his _wolf…standing not a foot away from him. The animal had moved from the hallway and was now closer than ever. Surprisingly, it did not look so sickly anymore. Black fur shined healthy and clean against strong muscles with the only remaining affliction being the raw band around its neck.

James looked away and let out a shaky breath as he thought. The wolf remained quiet, watching him with silent intensity.

"I don't know what I'm doing." He said aloud, "I don't know what I'm doing at all."

He closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and turned back to face the wolf. Slowly, so slowly, he reached out a shaky hand. Again, almost like it was mirroring him, the wolf carefully stepped forward and sniffed at his outstretched fingers.

"All I've ever done was follow instinct." He muttered as the wolf continued to sniff him. Idly, James marveled at the feeling of the soft fur around its muzzle and snout.

"I'm sorry." He said next.

The wolf butted its head against his hand.

James gasped as a tidal wave of emotion surged through him and he felt tears spring to his eyes once again. It felt like a well of poison was being drained out of him; so much anger, so much pain, sadness, grief, and rage just…went away.

"I still don't know what I'm doing." James muttered as he turned to face the great, black wolf, who stepped closer and huffed in his face. James gave a small smile and lightly stroked its flanks, "I guess you don't know either because you're a part of me…I'm not even gonna pretend how that works."

A rough, pink tongue swiped James hair, and he laughed, "Yeah, I guess you don't either…but I know what needs to happen right now. We need to save Sam."

James felt the wolf's body tense, just as he felt his own clench in anticipation. He remembered the last thing before everything went black was the Makkapitew holding Sam. The thought filled him with a primal rage and a low growl ripped from his throat, mirrored by the wolf that pulled back its lips to show every one of its fangs. James looked up into the animal's eyes and smiled through his shared anger.

"Glad we have something to agree on." He told the wolf before he wound his arms around its neck in an embrace.

Their world erupted in silver light.

XXX

James' eyes opened again, and a tsunami of senses slammed into him. The burn of his many wounds knitting back together, the smell of the lodge, the wendigos, his own blood, and Sam's fear. His body felt different as well, but it was not uncomfortable. It felt strong. It felt _right!_ He felt his fur drag along the hardwood floor as he shifted and turned eyes that burned through the gloom to where Hannah had wrapped a bony hand around Sam's throat. The Makkapitew pulled her close to its toothy maw and hoisted her into the air with an arm drawn back to run sharp nails through her stomach. Tears were running down Sam's cheeks as she twisted and struggled. An abominable fury surged through him and he quickly rolled onto all four of his legs and _moved._

Hannah's sensitive eyes picked up the motion behind her and half-turned to unleash a partial screech of fury that was cut off by the furry fist smashing into her skull.

Sam fell, coughing and choking, but didn't feel herself hit the floor as the wendigo sailed across the lodge and crashed into the stone fireplace, shattering it upon contact. Instead, something strong, hairy, and warm scooped under her legs and pulled her up. She instinctively leaned forward and wrapped her fingers into coarse fur.

Looking up, she gasped with eyes wide. James was holding her and was glaring over at the stone rubble of the fireplace where Hannah lay unmoving with bared teeth.

"James...?" Sam whispered.

The werewolf's ears twitched, and he looked down at her.

His eyes were different. Still a glowing orange, but there was a different look in them now, less wild and animalistic. Now they were filled with more intelligence and a familiar intensity. A deep rumble came from his chest and he dipped his muzzle in a nod. James...was _James_, as strange as that sounded. He was…himself! He was in control! His pointy ears pulled back against his skull and he lowered his arm to place her feet on the floor. James' eyes softened further, and he let out a chuffing breath that washed across her face and slashed his muzzle in the direction of the exit. Sam slowly nodded as she began to step back, unable to take her eyes off him before she turned and sprinted out the door.

The werewolf watched her go until a screech erupted behind him and turned to see Hannah picking herself up. The other two had recovered as well and landed around the downed Makkapitew who shook her head and snarled at the two wendigos investigating her.

James growled and stepped towards them on two legs.

Hannah stood up and glared at him, her milky eyes flashing blue in the low light. The other wendigos followed suit, snarling and posturing, and James rumbled a growl and stopped just outside the hallway. He was done with this, done with _**them,**_ these cruel monsters and their hatred towards life itself.

James shifted into a patch of moonlight and briefly felt his strength surge before it was cut off by a stinging heat encircling his neck. He brought a clawed paw up to touch the silver tags around his throat and winced as they burned him. A fresh snarl of frustration tore from his throat. He'd used this necklace as an inhibitor and a reminder for the horrible acts he'd done; acts he'd never committed in the first place. Right now, it was holding back strength he needed to end this!

Most of all, he was done fighting _**himself**_.

Clawed fingers gripped the silver necklace, ignoring the fiery, blistering pain and his smoking fur and flesh, and _pulled_ with all the strength he could muster.

The necklace broke free with a faint snap_, _and James dashed it to the floor, the tags clinking against the floorboards and the silver beads bouncing in every direction. White-hot power surged through his body and he let out a roar so loud that the windows rattled, and the wendigos stepped back.

The second his jaws shut, one of the wendigos shrieked, crouched low, and pounced; a grey streak of lightning through the air. James remained still, and when the wendigo was at arm's reach, he lashed out with both paws and seized its head. The emancipated thing struggled in his grasp, flailing gangly limbs and slashing with deadly claws. His wounds healed even _faster _without the necklace and every wound it inflicted vanished a second later.

James roared in its face before he took his clawed thumbs and stabbed them deep into the wendigo's eyes.

Cold blood spurted around his thumbs and the wendigo writhed and twisted in panic at its sudden blindness. Powerful shoulders bunched and heaved with strength to crack concrete, and there came a sickening SQUELCH as the wendigo's skull was crushed in a shower of gore. James let the lifeless corpse fall to the floor and lifted his lips in dark satisfaction. Looking up, his fiery eyes met the Makkapitew who returned the stare with a hateful, soulless gaze.

James snarled his meaning clear.

_**You're next!**_

As if reading his mind, the Makkapitew and the remaining wendigo screeched defiantly at the werewolf. James roared right back before attacking.

Hannah reacted quickly and jumped from the second-floor railing and onto the chandelier again as James sped past her. However, the second remaining wendigo wasn't as fast. Catching it in a flying tackle, James slammed the slender creature into the floor before scooping it up and throwing it behind him. The wendigo bounced across the floor twice and tumbled over the edge of the basement railing.

James glared up at the Makkapitew as she screamed down at him and he roared, crouched, and jumped up to try and grab her. Hannah leapt away, and James' claws tangled in the ball of coiled metal. When gravity kicked in, the entire fixture was ripped out of the ceiling. The werewolf hit the floor in a shower of dust and plaster with the chandelier landing beside him with a loud crash. James snarled and shook away from the dust, searching for Hannah. However, upon feeling cool metal beneath his paws, he looked down at the chain still connected to the chandelier.

Her shrill screech caught his attention as she ricocheted off the wall and came at him again, and James grabbed the chain in his paws.

Tensing his shoulders, he heaved the entire chandelier from the floor, swung it in a half-circle, and slammed it into the incoming wendigo. The chain snapped free and the circular fixture tumbled across the room with Hannah imbedded in its interlocking bars, banging and clanging until it crashed into the far end of the lodge with her cries echoing all the way.

James squinted at the wreckage and walked towards it with the chain still wrapped around his paw. Suddenly, the second wendigo came from the basement with claws outstretched to slit his throat open. Reacting with supernatural reflexes of his own, James caught the wendigo by the throat and held the gaunt beast at bay. Snarling, he slammed it into the floor and dropped all his weight onto its bony chest. The wendigo screamed up at James and bit and clawing at his hand. Curling the paw still wrapped in chain into a fist, he brought it down hard on the wendigo's face, shattering its teeth and crushing its nose. Cold, dark blood seeped from its face and the wendigo gave a shrill cry through broken teeth before James punched it again. He pounded down with his furry fists, cracking the wood beneath them as he repeatedly bashed the wendigo's face in until it stopped moving.

Huffing, James stood up, staring down at the squashed puddle of gore that was once a wendigo's face and let the broken links of chain fall from his knuckles.

His ear twitched towards sound of movement behind him and he twisted around a moment too late. Claws sunk into his shoulders as Hannah latched onto his back, biting his neck. James roared in pain, staggering backwards and swatting at the gangly creature to knock her off. Baring his fangs, he reached back and seized one of slender arm to yank her off and slam her into the floorboards. Hannah cried as her impact left a crater in the wood, and James flung her across the lodge where she crashed into the wall with a scream.

_Jack_

He hadn't known how long he'd been laying on that desk, but when he woke up, all those kids were gone, along with the Wolf. Soon after, he'd heard the monster's cries echoing up from the dark and knew it was time to run. Somehow, some of his prisoners had escaped and were coming for him. His plan had been to set the Washington's lodge aflame when the monsters came up through the old hotel. Those kids were most likely dead, more deaths he couldn't prevent, but they were deaths he would avenge!

He cobbled together a Moltov cocktail from an old bottle and what few flammable substances he managed to scrounge up. His injured leg slowed him down and he was still losing blood. Just as he was about to head back to the Lodge and set it alight, one of his wolfdogs had come padding out of the brush. It was the white one. He never gave them names. Didn't want to risk getting attached. He could only wonder where its sibling was, but the fact that one of his wolfdogs were all the way out here bode ill for the state of the sanitorium.

Then, the moon shone through the clouds, and he heard the howl. It echoed all over the mountain, deep, long, and _angry, _and it sounded over the faint cries of the Makkapitew on the wind. For the first time in an age, Jack felt hope.

Mount Madahee had a Wolf-Chief once more.

He had to help.

Despite every step sending fire through his injured leg, he powered through, limping back towards the lodge with the bottle clutched in his hands. His wolfdog padded at his side as he came through the tree line just as the very kids he thought dead came running out of the lodge. Behind them, Jack's good eye widened when he saw the shapes fighting within the lodge and heard the sounds of roaring and snarling, like a bear and a wendigo were fighting. One of the windows cracked when something was hurled against it, and Jack's breath caught in his throat.

"Run!" One of the girls yelled as she ran at the head of the pack. One of the other girls had her arm under the blonde boy's arm and was helping him hobble away. Washington's boy was being half dragged by the kid who'd stolen his jacket. Suddenly, the blonde kid's foot gave out and he stumbled with a yell, bringing himself and the girl into the snow.

"GAH! Damnit!" He cursed as he dropped.

"Come on, Chris, get up!" His girl urged.

"Where's Sam?" Asked the one boy as he came up beside them. He looked over his shoulder at the lodge, eyes wide and worried, "Sam!" he hollered.

"Here!"

Her red jacket stood out in sharp contrast to the snow as she hurried over to them.

"Thank god! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said as she crouched to help up her downed friends.

"Sam!" The other girl called, "Sam! What about James? Is he killing those things?" At the other girl's nod, she pointed down the path "Then let's get the fuck out of here!"

That was about the time Jack approached.

They flinched in surprise when they caught sight of him, but the blonde kid looked relieved, "Jack!" He called.

"Wolfie?" The kid with his jacket muttered in surprise, staring at his wolfdog.

He limped through the snow, leaving a trail of blood drops behind him, "Are you kids alright?" He asked them.

"Still alive." The blonde answered. Jack thought his name was Chris, "Good to see you in one piece, man!"

Jack's eye darted among them, "Where's the other one? The Wolf?"

Just then, a loud roar echoed from the lodge followed by a wendigo's scream and the sound of things breaking inside. Jack stared at the lodge for a moment longer before his eyes narrowed and he took out his last cigar and his zippo. The flame sparked and the tobacco crackled, and Jack took a long drag before stomping forward with the wolfdog at his heels.

"Where are you going?"

Jack glanced over his shoulder at the kids with his good eye, "He won't be able to beat the Makkapitew on his own. He needs fire!" He shook the bottle filled with liquid and corked with a rag before he turned back with a snarl of anticipation, "It's time to end this." He growled.

Up above, the sky began to brighten as the light of dawn dimmed the glow of the slivery moon.

_James_

James raised his arms to shield against furious slashes and backpedaled away from Hannah. No matter how many times he knocked her down, she kept getting back up. Hannah was blindingly fast and agile. Her nails were longer sharper and sharper than his, and she was no slouch when it came to strength either. She also felt no pain, unlike him.

James had to end this fight soon because time was running out. He could feel the moon's pull waver as night changed to dawn.

Abruptly, he surged forward in a desperate maneuver to clobber Hannah, who darted between his swings and came back with an underhand swing that cut him from hip to chest. James yowled in pain and dropped low to protect his body before snapping out and locking his jaws around Hannah's ankle. Hannah shrieked as James yanked her off her feet and shook her like a ragdoll before flinging her into the wall. He bounded forward and grabbed her by the torso, hoisted her up over his head, and threw her as hard as he could into the floor. Hannah bounced once before she flipped onto her stomach and scuttled about face like a crab so she could face him and pounce.

James slapped his paw into the side of her bald head and sent her flying across the lodge and into the hall. Hannah landed on the floor in a flailing heap, and James dropped to all fours with a growl before approaching her at a quick trot. Hannah looked up just as he brought down a single paw that was the size of her face upon her like a club. His thick claws barely scratched the skin of her scalp as they raked down her face until one of them met something that was not as hard.

Hannah reared back, screaming in shrill panic, and cold blood flying through the air from her punctured right eye. James lunged, grabbed her head, and slammed it sideways into the basement bannister. The wood splintered and cracked, and James did it again, and again, before swinging back his other paw and smacked her directly in the mouth. Hannah's head rocked to the side as her knees gave out from under her. The wendigos may not be able to feel pain, but they could still be stunned, and Hannah's brain had just been thoroughly rattled.

The Makkapitew turned her head back to James to gurgle a weak hiss. Many of her pointy teeth were broken and shattered, and her right eye was still leaking dark blood and fluid. James growled right back.

Suddenly she spun and kicked with one of her long legs, nailing him the chest and sending him over onto his back. James had barely enough time to let out a growl of pain and surprise before she was on him; ripping into his belly and chest with reckless abandon. James roared with pain and rage as his blood and fur went flying.

Suddenly, the Makkapitew paused and looked up as movement caught her eye. So distracted was she, that she was too late to react as Wolfie came charging in and tackled her off the werewolf. The wolfdog's jaws locked around her throat and he hung off of her like a necktie as she rose back up, fingers scrabbling to grab and break his neck, but was stopped as her feet were knocked out from under her by a furry, black limb. Wolfie disengaged and landed beside the Makkapitew as she folded around what remained of the bannister, and a black beast stood tall behind her with orange eyes blazing.

Her cry filled the air as a strong paw crushed her ankle in its grip and yanked her away; her claws leaving gouges into the floor as she flailed and struggled. James dragged her out into the living room where there was more space to move and threw her like a ragdoll into the far wall where she slammed into the wood and fell limply to the ground.

A pair of boots and the smell of blood, oil, and tobacco entered the lodge from the now open back door, and the Makkapitew looked up just in time to see Jack Fiddler join the fight.

"Remember me?" He jeered as he stomped inside with the lodge, bottle held at the ready. Jack looked over the hulking form of James before turning back to her with a savage grin on his face, "Makkapitew!" He spat. The Makkapitew screamed a sound of pure fury at the old wendigo hunter, hissing and spitting at the title.

"This is your last winter, Makkapitew!" Jack intoned as he walked forward, "The Great Spirit has sent his champion, and you are alone! The Wolfman has returned to the mountain!"

The Makkapitew roared its defiance, it's remaining eye darting from the hunter to the werewolf as she tensed, ready to spring into action.

Jack didn't give her the chance. He snagged his cigar from his lips and pressed the tip to the rag cork before lobbing the bottle with the cry of, "DIE!"

The Molotov Cocktail sailed through the air and broke upon Hannah's chest. The fuel within drenched her, and the smoking rag set it ablaze. The Makkapitew screeched in agony, writhing like an insect before scrambling toward a window with skin crackling and sizzling as the flames ate away at her armored hide.

Staring at the sight in shock, James heard Jack bellow behind him at the top of his lungs, "Finish it, kid!"

Baring sharp fangs, James dashed at the blazing wendigo and leapt into the air, slamming down in front of her and cutting off her escape. Hannah gave a shrill scream and darted away, but Wolfie charged in, barking and snapping at her, corralling her back to James. The two lupines lunged, but the wendigo bounded up along the wall before smashing out another window.

"DON'T LET IT ESCAPE!" Roared Jack.

James growled in agreement and charged after her through the window he had broken through. Outside, James found the Makkapitew crawling a-ways away from the lodge while desperately throwing itself into the snow to quench the flames eating away at its skin. He lunged with a roar and smashed her into the ground. Hannah flailed and screamed in the face of death, and James parted his jaws to sink his fangs into a charred part of her right shoulder, right where her butterfly tattoo had been.

The Makkapitew _screamed_.

James released her and backed away as the wendigo began to writhe, twist, and scream on the ground. The flames on its blackened hide flared with new light and its flesh smoked and steamed where he had bit her. Abruptly, Hannah's mutated body went slack like a puppet cut from its strings and a pale, orange light seeped from her burnt flesh. It sputtered and flickered before taking the shape of a screaming, fanged face that sluggishly spun through the air towards the sky in a slow ascent. But then, a silvery glow coalesced around it and took the form of a wolf that pounced on the fiery visage. The apparitions rose into the air, fighting and struggling, before imploding in a dark smoke that faded away with the wind.

In the sky above, the last bit of moonlight completely faded as the sun peeked over the mountains.

James collapsed into the snow as the power of the Wolf drained away. There was no pain, for once. The sensation of transforming felt distant and dulled, when he blinked next, he found himself kneeling naked in the snow watching Hannah's corpse burn to ash.

"Here." A heavy coat smelling of cigar and gasoline was thrust into his face, courtesy of Jack. The old hunter stood over him with Wolfie at his side. Jack stared at the charred corpse beside him in amazement, "The Makkapitew is dead at last." He intoned solemnly, "Truly dead…you did it, kid."

James could only nod once. A breeze caressed his skin and he looked up as orange light spilled into the sky. Jack reached for another cigar but stopped and sighed when he remembered they were in his coat pocket. The hunter shook his head, "I gotta quit smoking."

"JAMES!"

James twisted his head to see her sprinting towards him, the others behind her. She dropped to the snow in front of him and ran hands over his face, green eyes wide, confused, amazed, and afraid.

"I did it, Sam!" He gasped out, "I did it! I can control it!"

Sam didn't say anything else but threw her arms around him in an embrace, uncaring for his nudity.

XXX

Back inside the lodge, a small patch of flames still burned along the carpet from Jack's Molotov cocktail and steadily burned towards the fireplace where one of the gas lines had been split from when James threw Hannah into it and had been leaking a steady stream of highly flammable gas into the air. Not enough to be openly dangerous, but if a source of flame got close enough to it...

The steadily growing cloud of gas brushed against the patch of flames, and instantly caught fire-

XXX

_KABOOM! _

Everyone screamed as the lodge exploded into flames. Wolfie ducked behind Jack's legs as Chris fell back with Ashley. Mike pulled Josh to the ground while Emily shielded her face. James threw himself over Sam to protect her from the blast of heat that washed over them all. When they looked back, the lodge was well and truly ablaze.

Jack just stared into the fire with a grim expression, his good eye trained on the fiery visages twirling into the sky before puffing into nothingness. The Makkapitew might be destroyed, but the spirit of the wendigo still circled the mountain and would inevitably find new victims to possess. He turned back to the young adults behind him, and his eyes met the werewolf's. The young wolfman looked from where the wendigo spirits disappear, then back to him, and nodded. Perhaps, he mused, there was hope for this mountain yet…

Helicopter blades thrummed as a helicopter skimmed out of the sunrise.

Help had arrived at last.

* * *

**I hope this was as satisfying to read as it was to write. More to come! Just a few more chapters left. Stay tuned~**


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